Danger in the Tennis Courts
by iKiohri
Summary: Sakuno-centric. A serial killer is targeting tennis players. After Sakuno attended a festival, someone began to stalk her. Is it the murderer? Who can she turn to when it seems that there is no one she can trust? Mainly RyoSaku&KiriSaku.SomeSakuxOthers.
1. Tanabata

**Danger in the Tennis Courts**

**I. _Tanabata_**

It was the night of the seventh day of the seventh month—the night of _Tanabata_, a celebration which the Westerners dubbed as the "Star Festival." This festival originated from a Chinese folk legend concerning two stars, Vega and Altair, who were said to be lovers who could meet only once a year on this very night.*

"Sakunooooo!"

A 16-year-old girl wearing high pigtails called to her best friend as she turned to look back at her. She was wearing a yellow-patterned summer kimono that boasted wisteria flowers.

"_Hayaku, hayaku_! We must hurry or we won't be able to get the most out of this festival!" Tomoka beckoned impatiently to her friend, who was lagging a few feet behind.

Sakuno smiled fondly at her best friend. It's so like her to get so excited over celebrations like this. As if to complement her friend's clothes, she wore a light pink kimono stylishly adorned with cherry blossoms.

"_Hai, hai._ I'm coming, Tomo-chan. _Gomen ne_, I could've easily kept up if only I didn't keep tripping over the steps on our way up here. _Mou_."

The shy girl, who was also the same age as her pigtailed best friend, frowned cutely as she shot harmless glares at the cause of her demise—two innocent and brand new wooden sandals that her _baa-chan _had gotten for her just for this festival. Sakuno's glaring concentration was rudely interrupted by a very pleasant chuckle that came from her right side.

"_Aa_… Ryuzaki-chan, spare the sandals. I could carry you around for the rest of the night, if you wish."

Both girls' eyes widened in surprise when they turned to see who just interrupted their conversation.

"F-Fuji-_senpai_!" They both exclaimed quite loudly that Sakuno blushed a pretty shade of pink when people turned to see what the big commotion was all about. The _tensai_ simply flashed them one of his charming smiles.

"Fuji-_senpai_ is spending his night at this festival too?" Tomoka, who ignored the stares they were getting, squealed in a high-pitched voice as she shot Sakuno a happy expression. "How lucky!"

Sakuno sweatdropped and weakly smiled back at her best friend.

"_Saa_, that is partly true. But I am not the only one who is celebrating _Tanabata_ at this temple. It seems like the whole team decided to come after all, _ne_, Tezuka?" Fuji suavely asked his companion, who up to now prompted to remain somewhat hidden behind the drapes of a nearby stall. Now that the attention was diverted to him, the stoic captain of the great Seigaku team had no choice but to come out of his hiding spot and approach the trio. He gave a curt nod as a reply to Fuji's question before he looked at the girls.

The young damsels stared back at the captain. They more or less looked like deer caught in headlights.

After a few seconds, the sweeter one of the two recovered from the temporary shock. She promptly gave the captain a warm smile. "It's good to see you here, Kuni-, I mean, _buchou_." She bowed respectfully before she turned and did the same to the _tensai_. "You too, Fuji-_senpai_."

Although Tomoka was never really intimidated by any of the scary-looking tennis players they often socialize with, she had always felt a little uneasy whenever she was in the presence of "the" great Tezuka Kunimitsu. No one can blame her though, the _buchou_ is simply that intimidating. That's why she often wondered how the sweet and oh-so-shy Sakuno can almost seem comfortable in front of this ice captain. Something smells fishy out there.

Tomoka didn't notice it until they entered the first year of high school. Over the years, both girls had gotten considerably close to the tennis players, especially since Sakuno took up the title of being the official girl manager of the Seigaku tennis team. It was thanks to a ridiculous rule imposed by a feminist who happened to be a member of the Tennis Board Committee. She wanted to have female presence in the courts completely dominated by males, and so, the requirement of a _female_ manager for each tennis team was created.

In the middle of Tomoka's musings, something hit her like a lightning, and all of a sudden, her overexcited mood came back.

"Fuji-_senpai_! Did you just say that the whole team is attending this festival?" she eagerly questioned the _tensai_.

"_Aah_, that is correct," Fuji answered the girl with his ever-present smile.

Tomoka screamed, completely in her fangirl mode.

"Then that means… Ryoma-sama is here too!" she continued to voice out loudly, not noticing that her best friend had stiffened upon hearing her last words.

As Sakuno unconsciously clutched the hem of her kimono sleeves, she suddenly got the feeling that something will go wrong tonight.

_Oh how right she was._

* * *

* From Wikipedia

**Author's Notes:**

Sorry for the short chapter but it just felt right to end there xD R&R please?

**Japanese Vocabulary**

_hayaku** - **_hurry

_hai_ - yes

_gomen ne_ - I'm sorry; I apologize

_mou_ - an expression that indicates frustration, Sakuno uses it a lot

_baa-chan_ - shortened form of "obaa-chan," Sakuno's cute way of referring to her grandmother

_tensai_ - genius

_buchou_ - captain


	2. The Silver Flash

**II. The Silver Flash**

"_Ochibiiiiiii_… Come on, say hi to Sakuno-chan! She will replace you with another boy if you keep up this cold attitude of yours!" Eiji engulfed Echizen Ryoma in one of his "killer" hugs. He has been in his match-making mission since Sakuno and Tomoka joined their group thirty minutes ago. Sadly, Eiji hasn't made any progress so far.

The color of Ryoma's face quickly turned from ashen white to blue in a matter of seconds. "Can't. Breath. Kiku-" _Cough. Cough. Cough._

"Eiji! Let go of him now!" The mother hen of the Seigaku team quickly grabbed his doubles partner away from the poor choking boy.

"_Demo_, Oishiiiii. I am worried about _Ochibi_'s lovelife, _nya_. Recently, he and Sakuno-chan have been-" His tactless speech was fortunately cut short thanks to Oishi covering his mouth.

"Mmmmppgg. Mppphh." Eiji glared and pouted at his partner while Oishi uneasily chuckled to cover up for Eiji's slip-up.

"How about we go over to the _takoyaki_ food stall near the entrance of the temple? I heard they are pretty good," Oishi coaxed as he started to lead the struggling Eiji away from the group.

After the two vanished, Ryoma let out a sigh of relief. He adjusted his cap to hide his slight irritation. He knew coming to this festival had been a bad idea. If it hadn't been for the threat of Inui's juices, he would've gladly stayed home and played with Karupin. That would have been much simpler. He hates it when things get complicated. And right now, things are definitely complicated, especially with _her_.

"Eiji-_senpai_ had a point, Echizen." Unfortunately, the other match-maker, Momoshirou Takeshi, came over and continued Eiji's losing fight. The now second-year high school boy put an arm around his _kouhai_'s shoulder and gave him a pointed look. "What's going on, slow-poke?"

Ryoma grudgingly pushed Momo's arm away, and once again adjusted his cap.

"_Betsu ni_."

"_Oi_, listen you inconsiderate _kouhai_-" Momo was about to start a long lecture about how a man should not beat around the bush or something of the sort when Sakuno decided to save Ryoma.

"_A-ano_. I think I am going to visit one of the game stalls," she proclaimed loud enough for all of her companions to hear. Sakuno gave them a warm, yet forced, smile and then quickly dashed away from the group. Tomoka promptly followed her, muttering a quick "excuse me" to her _senpai-tachi_.

"_Fshhhhh_. Way to go, porcupine."

Momoshirou immediately retaliated against his rival's jeer. "Shut up, _mamushi_! I don't see you doing anything to solve the problem!" He stood up angrily, ready for a fight.

"There is no problem. _Fsshhhhhhh_."

"How can you say there is no problem! You can easily see-"

"Enough." With that single word, both second years immediately shut up as Tezuka stood and shot them a reprimanding look.

Taka walked over and stood next to their _buchou_. He scratched the back of his head and gave the two a sheepish smile. "I also think that we should not interfere with their business. I am pretty sure that whatever is going on between Ryuzaki-san and Echizen-san can be resolved by themselves," Taka said meekly.

"_Saaa_. I wonder if that is really so," Fuji mysteriously added to the conversation.

"There is a 99.99% possibility that Echizen would not make a move to solve this problem unless something happens." Inui adjusted his glasses, putting in his two cents.

Ryoma, agitated with everyone discussing his own problem—complication—whatever they want to call it, got fed up, and started to walk away.

"_Oi_, where are you going, Echizen?" Momoshirou called to his _kouhai_.

"Getting Ponta," the prince of tennis curtly replied before he disappeared from his _senpai-tachi_'s view.

* * *

"_Ne_, Sakuno, _daijobu_?" Tomoka worriedly asked her friend. She had found Sakuno on a bridge that overlooked a pretty _koi_ pond.

"_Hai_, of course, Tomo-chan. Why wouldn't I be?" Sakuno smiled to assuage her best friend's worries.

Tomoka sighed in frustration as she leaned against the wooden bridge. "You do know that you suck at lying, right? We all have noticed it."

Sakuno blinked innocently at her friend, frowned, and then pouted. "Noticed that I really suck at lying?"

"Well, yeah. But I am talking about you and Ryoma-sama." Tomoka shot her a pointed look. "Something definitely happened."

Sakuno turned away from her friend to watch the _koi_ fishes swim around pointlessly. She remained silent for a while. Ever since she met Tomoka, Sakuno never had a problem discussing her troubles with the other girl. But this one, for some reason… she just didn't feel like uttering a single word about it to her friend. So she chose to change the subject instead.

"Ah, _sou ieba_! I almost forgot, Tomo-chan! Have you seen any bamboo trees near this area?" Sakuno asked her friend, her face now devoid of the uneasiness it displayed when the subject about Ryoma was brought up. The shy girl even had a small smile on—a genuine one this time.

"I think I have." Tomoka tapped her chin, seemingly deep in thought for a few seconds. "I have seen one! Why, are you going to put a wish on the tree?" Tomoka asked excitedly, apparently not minding the subject change at all.

During _Tanabata_, people often write wishes and romantic aspirations on long, narrow strips of coloured paper and hang them on bamboo branches along with other small ornaments.*

Sakuno blushed lightly. "_Ano, hai_. I-"

Tomoka loudly squealed in joy and hugged, though more like squeezed, her friend tightly. "That's my Sakuno! Come on, there's no time to waste! It must be there before midnight so that the star lovers could grant your wish!" And with that much excitement in her body, she pulled the innocent Sakuno towards the location of the bamboo tree they passed earlier.

* * *

_Siiiip_.

'Finally, some peace,' Ryoma contentedly thought as he drank his grape-flavored Ponta. It wasn't long before he finished the entire content of the can and got up from the isolated bench he decided to rest on.

As the prince was throwing his empty Ponta in the garbage bin, he noticed a girl standing in front of a bamboo tree, which was located a few yards from where he stood. His current location made it impossible for the girl to spot him so he had the liberty to stare at her.

'_Oi_, isn't that… Ryuzaki?' Ryoma shoved a hand inside his pocket and decided to take a closer look at the girl. Just out of curiosity, he justified to himself. He wasn't stalking her or anything. Just seeing what the heck she's up to in that dark, isolated place.

Ryoma watched Sakuno tie a string, which had a rectangular piece of paper attached to it, to one of the bamboo branches. She then proceeded to close her eyes and put her hands together in a gesture of a prayer. At that moment, a gentle breeze decided to blow, which caused her unbound, long, graceful, and flowing hair to dance in the air.

With the moon shining its light on her serene face like that, Ryoma was enchanted. He had never seen her look that beautiful before. He continued to stare for a few more minutes until a voice loudly interrupted him.

"Are you done?"

The voice almost made him jump. He quickly glanced around the area with guilt written on his face. He thanked the gods up in heaven when he realized that the voice had addressed Sakuno and not him.

"Sakuno, come on, let's go! I'm getting hungry!" The owner of the voice, which he now recognized as the loud-mouthed girl who is always with Sakuno, came into his view and grabbed the shy girl's arm. He saw Sakuno give the thing on the branch a quiet smile before she allowed herself to be dragged away by her best friend.

The prince, having finally realized that he just allowed himself to think about Ryuzaki in that way _again_, berated himself as he lowered his cap to hide a forming blush.

"_Tch_. How stupid," he muttered irritably as he walked back towards where his _senpai-tachi_ were waiting.

* * *

"Ahhh! Sakuno! Look, it's the old sakura tree! _Mite, mite!_ It's one of the oldest living sakura trees in Japan!" They were walking along a fairly isolated path when Tomoka eagerly pointed at a tree standing in front of the dark forest that surrounds the temple.

"Do you have your camera? Can you take some pictures of me in front of this tree?" Tomoka excitedly asked before she ran to pose in front of the tree.

Sakuno had no choice but to fumble in her purse for the camera. She soon found it and started to snap pictures of Tomoka as the loud girl made goofy poses. She was about to click for the fourth time when she saw a silver flash a few paces behind the tree Tomoka was standing at. She paused from her picture-taking to try to locate the source of the flash.

"Thanks, Sakuno! Now let's go get that food!" Tomoka straightened up and started walking away, oblivious to her friend's sudden odd behavior.

"_H-h__ai_," Sakuno softly replied as she continued to stare at the spot where the silver flash was.

'It was probably just my camera's flash,' she finally thought as she turned to follow Tomoka. However, her eyes were still glued to the forest when she started to walk. The next thing she knew was that she crashed against a hard body.

Sakuno almost screamed when the person suddenly grabbed her arms and encircled his own arm around her waist. Only the gentle voice that came from the man prevented her from making a big scandal.

"_Ah, akan wa_. _Gomen, gomen_. I guess I wasn't really looking at where I was going," the gentle voice apologized.

Sakuno anxiously looked up only to find a gorgeous pair of chocolate eyes and light-brown tousled hair.

"Shi-Shiraishi-san?"

* * *

*From Wikipedia

**Author's Notes:**

Please R&R :)

**Japanese Vocabulary**

_ochibi_ - "chibi" means small and the "o" in front of it is somewhat like an honorific

_demo_ - but

_betsu ni_ - It's nothing.

_mamushi _- viper

_daijobu - _Are you okay?

_sou ieba_ - something like "now that you mentioned it"; Sakuno used it in that sentence because Tomoka was talking about her and Ryoma and perhaps (maybe xD) her wish had something to do with them, or not

_mite _- look

_ano_ - an expression that can be roughly translated to "um"

_akan wa_ - No good (Osakan dialect)

_gomen_ - I'm sorry; I apologize


	3. Murder

**III. Murder**

"Shi-Shiraishi-san?"

The older boy seemed surprised.

"You know my name?" His voice was still gentle but Sakuno noticed a slight change in his eyes when he asked the question.

"_A-ano_, _hai_." Despite of her frightened state, Sakuno somehow managed to steady her voice. "I had seen you play against my school's tennis team during the Nationals."

Upon hearing her words, Shiraishi's eyes shifted back to normal. "I see," he curtly replied and slowly released the petite girl from his grasp. "Are you okay? You seem to be frightened. Maybe-"

"Sakunooooooo!"

Distracted by the sudden loud voice, the two teenagers turned to see the figure of Osakada Tomoka speeding towards them. She stopped a foot away from Sakuno, and bent over in an effort to catch her breath.

"S-Sakuno! Gah, I thought I had lost you!" Tomoka straightened up only to finally notice how close this unknown boy was standing next to Sakuno.

"Oh my gosh. Is he molesting you?" The pig-tailed girl dramatically snatched her best friend away from the guy and shielded her from him.

"_Chigau yo,_ Tomo-chan! He wasn't molesting me. I- I accidentally bumped into him," Sakuno quickly explained in order to avoid offending the handsome captain of Shitenhouji.

Shiraishi simply smiled and added: "But it's more like I bumped into you, miss-"

Sakuno's eyes widened upon realizing that she hasn't even introduced herself when she just liberally called his name a few moments ago. How rude of her!

"Ryuzaki Sakuno _desu. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu!"_ She humbly bowed in front of the famous captain.

"Ryuzaki… Sakuno?" Shiraishi repeated slowly, now staring more intently at the girl in front of him. "_Masaka…_ You can't be the Ryuzaki Sakuno that Kintarou always talks about? The granddaughter of the previous coach of the Seigaku team?"

Sakuno blushed upon hearing that the energetic, red-haired freshman of the Shitenhouji team constantly talks about her. More importantly, to his _buchou_, for pete's sake.

"_Eto_… _h-hai_. I am the granddaughter of Ryuzaki Sumire," she replied in a soft voice. Sakuno then looked down at the ground and bit her bottom lip.

"_Aaa_. Interesting." Shiraishi smiled enigmatically as he continued to observe the shy antics of this young girl who has caught his _kouhai_'s attention.

Tomoka, on the other hand, simply looked back and forth between her friend and the young man she was talking to. She paused to stare a bit at the lad. Not only did she notice that he's super hot, but somehow, he also seemed familiar to her.

"_Ne_, Sakuno, where have I seen this guy?" Tomoka whispered as she elbowed her friend.

"Ah, _gomen_, Tomo-chan! Shiraishi-san, this is Osakada Tomoka, a fellow student at Seigaku High and my best friend." Sakuno politely gestured to the pig-tailed girl beside her. "Tomo-chan, this is Shiraishi-san. He's the captain of the Shitenhouji team."

Upon hearing the words "captain" and "Shintenhouji," Tomoka let out one of her fan girl screams and proceeded to apologize again and again to the captain.

"_Gomen, gomen, gomen, _Shiraishi-san! I didn't mean to call you a molester! Please forgive me!" she pleaded earnestly, barely resisting the urge to huggle one of his legs and beg for his forgiveness in that way.

Shiraishi let out a kind chuckle and immediately reassured the young woman that it was alright and that it had been logical for her to think that way, considering the situation.

"But, anyway. What are you young ladies doing in this secluded area of the festival? It is dangerous for you to be alone in this kind of place," he reprimanded the girls. Sakuno noticed that his eyes had that special glint again when he mentioned "dangerous."

"Well, Sakuno and I were just taking pictures of that old sakura tree over there. We were about to go when Sakuno bumped into you, I guess," Tomoka explained.

"I see," Shiraishi softly replied. "Very well, shall I escort you to the main grounds? In that way, my conscience wouldn't be bothered by leaving two young girls behind in this shady area." He gave them his most charming smile, which no sane girl can absolutely refuse.

* * *

"_Arigatou gozaimasu!"_ Sakuno and Tomoka both said as they bowed deeply before Shiraishi. Not only did the Shitenhouji captain escort them back to the populated area of the festival, but he also ended up treating them to an _okonomiyaki_ stand.

"The pleasure is all mine," Shiraishi told them with a sincere smile.

Hearing his answer immediately relieved the girls so they straightened up and started to eat their food.

"_A-ano_, did the rest of the team come with you tonight?" Sakuno asked, faintly blushing. Shiraishi let out a chuckle before answering her.

"_Gomen_, I came to Tokyo alone. I had some… personal business to take care of," the captain replied. He uttered the last part of his answer in a more serious manner.

"_Eeeh_, it almost seems like there is a secret national tennis match today, _ne_?" Tomoka suddenly exclaimed.

"What do you mean, Tomo-chan?" Sakuno asked in confusion.

"Well, you see, the whole Seigaku team is here. Shiraishi-san is also here. And then, a while ago, when I thought I lost you, Sakuno, I saw a couple of Hyoutei players too," the pig-tailed girl replied before munching on a piece of her _okonomiyaki_.

"Come to think of it," Shiraishi added thoughtfully. "I thought I saw some Yamabuki players too, but I can't be totally sure."

Sakuno blinked and pondered the matter. "_Sou_…"

For some reason, that gut feeling returned to Sakuno again—the feeling that something big is going to happen. Her musing was interrupted when the Shitenhouji captain suddenly stood up and started excusing himself.

"I am sorry. I would like to spend more time with you girls but I have things to take care of. I hope to see you both when I come to visit Tokyo again. Maybe next time, I'll bring Kin-chan along so he can spend time with you, Ryuzaki-san." He winked at the shy girl, which caused her cheeks to flame again.

"_S-Sayonara_, Shiraishi-san. Thank you once again," Sakuno said with a warm smile on her face. Shiraishi smiled back and nodded at Tomoka before leaving. The pig-tailed girl loudly echoed her best friends words as she waved enthusiastically at the departing captain.

About ten minutes after Shiraishi left them, the girls suddenly heard a deafening scream coming from the area where they just came from. Confused, they watched helplessly as mobs of people hurriedly passed to and from their location.

They soon finally heard what the commotion was all about. It came from a frantic man who seemed to have just come from the shady area of the temple.

"Someone's been stabbed! Somebody call the ambulance and the police!"

Sakuno and Tomoka were frozen in shock upon hearing the dreadful news. Almost immediately, Sakuno's heart started thumping wildly as she put a hand over her chest.

_'Please let it not be them. Please let our senpai-tachi and Ryoma-kun be safe.'_

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

I've always loved Shiraishi. He's so effing cool xD But doesn't he seem super suspicious here? Hmmmm.

**Japanese Vocabulary**

_gomen - _I'm sorry; I apologize

_ano - _an expression that can be roughly translated to "um"

_hai - _yes

_Chigau yo! - _that's not right; you're wrong; you're mistaken

_Yoroshiku onegaishimasu - _please be good to me

_senpai-tachi_ - senpai's (_tachi_ indicates the plural form of the noun)


	4. Lost and Found

**IV. Lost and Found**

A week had passed since the unfortunate incident—the incident that ruined their celebration of _Tanabata_.

It's impossible to describe the amount of relief and gratefulness that Sakuno felt when she found out that her prayers had been answered that night.

Her _senpai-tachi_ were alright.

Ryoma-kun was alright.

None of them were hurt nor were involved in the tragedy.

However, the incident still hit close to home for all of them.

Why? It's because a tennis player had been attacked on the night of the festival. A tennis player they're all familiar with. Someone they have even played against.

Akutsu Jin.

The punk player of Yamabuki had been stabbed and left to bleed to death on the night of _Tanabata_.

Of course, Sakuno did not find out about the details of the attack until the day after. That night, right after they heard the news that someone had been stabbed, Fuji found them and took them home right away.

There had been an incident, the _tensai_ said. Everyone from the team was okay and had been ordered to go home by Tezuka. Sakuno remembered her Fuji-_senpai_ flashing them his usual smile in an effort to calm them. However, she knew from his smile that he was greatly bothered by something.

* * *

And now here she is, in the area of the hospital in which she heard Akutsu Jin was admitted to.

The Yamabuki player's vital organs had been hit pretty badly from the attack. Fortunately, a person had found him immediately and the emergency team managed to save his life just in time.

For some reason, something about the attack had been bugging Sakuno ever since that night. She just couldn't pinpoint what it was exactly.

And so, somewhere in her musings, she somehow ended up resolving to visit Akutsu Jin.

It was a beautiful Sunday morning and Sakuno decided to buy some fruits, intending to bring them to the injured tennis player. She pondered if it is really okay for her to visit the player. After all, she is not close to Yamabuki at all. Who was she to simply barge in there and just visit him? Would they ask for a reason for her visit?

Sakuno shook her head and dismissed her thoughts. Never mind all that. She shall worry about that later. Right now, she needed to deal with a more important problem that needed her immediate attention.

_She has absolutely no idea where she is._

_Again._

It was odd, she thought, since she was merely following the directions she wrote on a piece of paper. Did she write the directions incorrectly? Or is she simply that directionally-challenged? Or maybe-

"Lost?"

The simple question, which was uttered in a cool though apathetic manner, distracted Sakuno from her deep musings that she jumped in surprise and fell on her butt when she heard it.

"_I-itai…_" She frowned and looked down, only to see a red spot on her leg. Apparently, she managed to scrape it when she fell down to the pavement.

"_Tch_. What a klutz."

Sakuno's eyes widened upon finally recognizing the voice. She slowly looked up and met Ryoma's unique, feline-like eyes.

"R-Ryoma-kun? What are you doing- Ahhhh! Oh no!" Sakuno quickly sat up upon noticing that the fruits she brought with her had been scattered all over the floor when she fell. She then started collecting the fruits, taking time to wipe each and every one of them with her handkerchief before putting them back to the basket.

Ryoma watched her silently for a while until a white slip of paper caught his attention. It was lying right next to Sakuno. He picked it up, glanced at it for a few seconds, then pocketed it. The prince then turned his head to check on the shy maiden. Upon seeing that she had finished putting all of her precious fruits back into the basket, he started to walk away, muttering two words:

"Let's go."

Sakuno blinked and wondered if she heard him correctly. She looked up at him, confusion evident on her soft features.

"_Eh_?"

Ryoma stopped in the middle of his tracks and glanced back at her.

"You're going to the hospital, right? It's this way." He looked away from her and resumed walking.

Sakuno quickly rose on her feet and stumbled after him.

"_A-ano_, Ryoma-kun! You don't have to. I'll be fine on my own. I don't want to impose-"

"Stop being annoying," the prince muttered in a slightly colder voice than he intended to use. He immediately regretted it as he saw the shy girl noticeably stiffen after he said it.

"_G-gomen_," Sakuno uttered in her soft voice before bowing her head gloomily. After that, she simply decided to shut her mouth and follow the tennis prodigy.

* * *

They had been walking in silence for about 15 minutes now.

Sakuno looked at the back of Ryoma, who was walking a few paces ahead of her. She sighed and bowed her head once again.

He's doing it again, she thought. Saving her.

But even though she felt extremely horrible for being a burden on him for the umpteenth time, Sakuno was happy. This is the first time since the "confrontation" in which he did not avoid nor ignore her presence.

She felt a tiny ray of hope in her heart. Perhaps, it was not too late after all. Maybe they could just forget that something happened and return back to normal—back to where they were before the stupid confrontation. Back to being _friends_, at least.

As it seemed to happen quite often recently, she was so distracted by her thoughts that she almost bumped into the back of Ryoma when the prince suddenly stopped in his tracks and glanced behind him. To Sakuno's surprise, he was not looking at her but at the area beyond her. She instinctively followed his gaze only to find nothing but an empty bench and trees.

Sakuno looked back at Ryoma and slightly tilted her head to the side. "Ryoma-kun? _Daijobu_?"

Ryoma ignored her and continued to stare at the area. Worried, Sakuno softly placed a hand on the boy's shoulder.

"What is it, Ryoma-kun?"

Her small gesture seemed to snap the boy back to life. The prince gently shrugged off her hand and adjusted the cap on his head.

"_Betsu ni_,_"_ he coolly replied back and resumed walking.

* * *

"Ah, so it had been the other way, after all. I must have confused my markings on the map," Sakuno uttered, feeling a little disappointed in herself.

They finally reached the hospital after a few more minutes of walking. During that time, Sakuno noticed that Ryoma threw a few, quick glances behind them. Not only that, he also slowed his pace so he can be closer to her, though he still kept a small distance between them.

"_Iie,_ the map was totally off," Ryoma corrected in an impassive voice. He took out the slip of white paper he picked up a while ago and tore it in front of her. "Next time, just print out the directions directly from the computer," he added.

"_Hai. Gomen._" Sakuno kept her gaze on the ground as she apologized to the prince. She waited for his reply for a minute or so, and when it did not come, she looked up and found him staring at her with an unreadable expression.

Sakuno blushed automatically. She couldn't help it. Ryoma had never openly stared at her like that. Despite that fact, Sakuno noticed that there was something off about his stare. It was like he was silently debating an issue that concerns her.

"Ryoma-kun?" Sakuno asked in an unsure voice.

Ryoma snapped out of his reverie for the second time that day and looked away from her. The prince soon realized his mistake and quickly tilted his cap downwards to hide the forming blush. To cover up for it, he suavely shoved a hand inside his pockets and nodded at the entrance of the hospital standing in front of them.

"Aren't you going in?" he asked.

"Ah, _hai_," Sakuno replied and gave him the warmest smile one can ever see on a girl's face. "_Arigatou_, Ryoma-kun. I really appreciate you showing the way to the hospital."

"It's nothing. I was heading this way anyway," the prince coolly brushed off her gratitude. Sakuno gave him a quick bow before heading off to the entrance. She was half-way inside when she heard Ryoma call out to her.

"_Ne_," the prince started.

Sakuno paused and turned around to face him. "_Hai_, Ryoma-kun?" she innocently asked, wondering if he's actually even talking to her since the prince still has his head turned to the side, seemingly avoiding her eyes.

"Don't forget to get some band-aid," Ryoma replied and turned to walk away.

Sakuno inclined her head in confusion. "Ryoma-kun wants some band-aid?" Sakuno asked out loud, getting a little worried that the prince might have gotten an injury.

Ryoma, having heard her question, stopped in absolute stupefaction, and turned to face her. She noticed that his cheeks were slightly red but she attributed it to the cold weather.

"_Baka_!" He adjusted his cap again. It seems like he often does this when he is flustered or annoyed. "It's for the scratch on your leg."

After muttering those words, the prince took off, leaving a madly blushing Sakuno behind. Soon, a fond smile formed on her face as she stared at the direction the prince disappeared to.

_Yes, perhaps it's not too late for them to fix what had been broken, after all._

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Well, our story is slowly progressing. Thanks to those who have reviewed so far : ) I am trying to complete this story as soon as I can since I do not want to lose interest in it before I finish the story.

As usual, please read and review! Until next time : )

**Japanese Vocabulary**

_itai_ - it hurts

_betsu ni - _it's nothing

_iie_ - no

_baka _- idiot; stupid


	5. The Visit

**V. The Visit**

'Alright. I just need to go to the nurse's station and ask for the room number of Akutsu-san.' Sakuno nodded to herself, her face carrying a look of determination. 'It should be easy enough for me, right?'

She moved one foot ahead of the other and started to head over to the station when a distinct and self-important voice interrupted her strides.

"What do you mean by this? This has got to be the lowest-leveled hospital in Tokyo if it upholds ridiculous policies such as the nonsense you just mentioned."

Sure enough, when Sakuno turned her head to get a look at the source of the voice, she saw an elegantly flipped purple hair belonging to none other than his highness, Atobe Keigo, in all his glory. At that moment, his back was facing Sakuno though she didn't fail to notice another presence beside the Hyoutei captain.

Munehiro Kabaji.

The ever present companion of the wealthy tennis player was standing behind him, looking as stiff as ever.

"I- I am sorry, sir. But it is really forbidden for us to release the visitor log for any patients in the hospital. However, if y-you are, by any chance, a member of the patient's immediate family, then p-perhaps we may be able to arrange something for you," the nurse nervously explained, visibly shaking in front of the "King" of tennis.

"Keh, never mind. _Ore-sama_ can find better ways to employ his time than to stand here and argue with unaccomodating employees, _naa_, Kabaji?" Atobe sent the trembling nurse a stern, condescending look.

"_Os__su_."

Without saying any parting words, the King turned around and marched arrogantly away from the counter with Kabaji right on his tail. Sakuno stiffened upon noticing that they both will have to pass her in order to exit the hospital. She worriedly debated whether she should greet them or not. Will they even recognize her if she does?

Before she can make a decision, Atobe and Kabaji already departed. They seemed to have not noticed her or simply did not just care.

'Oh well,' Sakuno thought to herself, a little relieved that she didn't have to deal with the dilemma.

Unbeknownst to our dear sweet little Sakuno, Atobe had spared her a quick secretive glance when he passed by.

* * *

Before Sakuno had a chance to recover from the surprise of seeing Atobe Keigo in the same hospital, another familiar voice stole her attention.

"Come on. Just a quick date. I promise you won't regret it," a happy-go-lucky teenage boy with an eye-catching orange hair pleaded. He was languidly resting his face on his right hand as he leaned against another nurse's station, the one opposite to where Atobe had just been.

Sakuno immediately recognized him as Kiyosumi Sengoku, better known as "Lucky Sengoku" from the Yamabuki tennis team. It makes more sense to see the young boy at the hospital, granted that it was his own teammate who had been hospitalized.

'Ah, how lucky!' Sakuno thought happily as she realized that now she didn't need to inquire about Akutsu's room number anymore. She really didn't want to after seeing how strict they were at making sure that anything that concerns their patients remains confidential. They even denied Atobe Keigo, the Hyoutei King and a well-known wealthy teenager, access to their database.

She walked towards the orange-haired boy and asked in a delicate voice, "_A-ano, sumimasen."_

Sengoku turned to see her. His smile immediately widened after seeing that it was a cute teenager girl who was talking to him.

"Ah, totally cute." He straightened up and left the counter to give Sakuno his complete attention. Meanwhile, the nurse he was flirting with "_hmph_-ed" and walked away.

With a pinkish hue present on her cheeks, Sakuno bowed before Sengoku.

"Sorry to disturb you, Sengoku-san. I was just wondering if it's-"

"Ahhhh, crap!"

She was cut off when Sengoku suddenly paled and distanced himself from her. "Y-you can't be one of the girls I previously dated and promised to call the day after but somehow didn't get to call because I had other important things to do?" he asked, giving her a wary look. "Look, we can settle this peacefully. I don't want to get beaten up by a purse again and then get tattooed by heels-"

"_Iie, iie, chigau yo!_" Sakuno shook her head and decided to interrupt his speech before it gets way out of hand. "_Gomen_, I should've introduced myself first. I am Ryuzaki Sakuno from Seigaku High School. You might have seen me during one of your matches against our school tennis team?" she asked gently.

After hearing her words, Sengoku let out a relieved sigh. Almost immediately, the smile he was previously wearing returned to his handsome face.

"Of course. No wonder you look familiar," he replied, running a hand through his hair. "Are you here to visit a friend or relative? Don't tell me you're here to visit your boyfriend? If that's the case, he's one heck of a lucky bastard."

Sakuno blushed at his words and shook her dainty little head once again. "_Iie_, actually, I am here to…"

* * *

"No way! You were at the festival on the night of the attack?" Sengoku asked Sakuno in disbelief. They were heading towards Akutsu Jin's room. After Sakuno showed him the basket of fruits she was carrying and told him he wanted to pay his teammate a visit, Sengoku gladly offered to show her the room, no further questions asked. But then again, he probably just wanted to get the chance to spend more time with a pretty young lady.

"Damn, I wish I met you earlier that night. I could have at least pulled a few moves," Sengoku boyishly complained. Despite of the easy manner he used to talk about the night of the tragedy, Sakuno can tell from the slight dullness of his eyes that the tragedy had hit him hard as well.

"Either way, it's really nice to have a pretty girl like you visit my good-for-nothing teammate," he told her with a smile. "Actually, a lot of people from the tennis community had been pretty nice about the whole thing. Atobe-kun and Sanada-kun also came here once or twice."

Sakuno widened her eyes in surprise upon hearing the boy's last sentence. 'So that's why I saw Atobe-san here earlier. _Demo_, Sanada-san too?'

Oblivious to her reaction, Sengoku continued to relay information. "Of course, Seigaku didn't fail to show their sympathy as well. Kawamura-kun barely left the hospital for the first four days and had religiously come nightly to visit Akutsu after that. Then, there's you. And also, right now," Sengoku opened the door to a room as they had finally reached their destination.

What Sakuno saw beyond the door froze her on the spot.

"Kunimitsu_-nii_?_"_

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Phew. I finally managed to include two more schools in the fic, plus a hint of the third. Don't worry, I'm a big Rikkai Dai fan so they would definitely play a major role in this story :)

**Japanese Vocabulary**

_Ano__** –**_an expression, can be roughly translated as "um"

_Sumimasen _ – excuse me; I'm sorry

_Gomen_ - I'm sorry

_Chigau yo_ – that's not right; you're wrong; you're mistaken

_~-nii_ – big brother


	6. Niisan

**VI. _Nii_-san**

"Kunimitsu-_nii_?"

Sakuno found the stoic captain of Seigaku standing by the open window of the room with his arms crossed. The look on his face told her that he was not surprised to see her at all. In fact, it was like he had been expecting her.

After a few seconds of staring at her _buchou_, Sakuno realized the blunder she made and quickly corrected herself.

"I-I mean, _buchou_. It's a pleasant surprise to see you here. I didn't know you were here as well." She bowed respectfully and tried to give him a smile.

It was never an easy feat to deduce what Tezuka is thinking since he almost never expresses any emotion. However, Sakuno had a lot of chances to practice. During the last two years of her middle school, Sumire had been really busy with tennis management and was often away from home. It was due to the fact that she had taken up other part-time jobs in far away places to help with financial matters.

Worried about Sakuno staying alone in their house during the times she was gone, Sumire often asked Tezuka to come over and check on her precious granddaughter. The strong-headed coach always put a lot of trust in the captain and he always proved to be worthy of that trust.

But of course, it was awkward for Sakuno at first. _Buchou_ is not only very intimidating but also very quiet. When he came over, he would just often say a sentence in greeting, and then proceed to sit on the couch and read a book for the rest of the time.

Until one night, after Sakuno fixed him a quick snack and some tea, the one-word captain suddenly decided to break their plain routine by asking out of the blue if she played _shougi_. Sakuno, unaccustomed to having an actual conversation with Tezuka, blushed faintly and answered "no" in a shaky voice.

Tezuka had nodded and returned to his book. Though his face showed nothing, Sakuno felt that he seemed somewhat disappointed. That was why she mustered all her courage and told him in a steady-enough voice that even though she didn't know how to play, she wanted to learn.

Her words appeared to have caught the attention of the captain as he glanced away from the book and stared at her. She fidgeted during that time and breathlessly waited for his reply—if he's ever going to reply.

To her complete surprise, Tezuka closed his book, adjusted his glasses on the bridge of his nose, and stood up. She remembered panicking as she thought that she must have said something that upset the captain.

"We'll begin next time_,"_ the captain suddenly said. It took Sakuno a minute or so to realize that he was actually offering to teach her _shougi_. Tezuka Kunimitsu, the stoic captain of Seigaku, just offered her _shougi_ lessons!

And so, they played _Shougi_ every time Tezuka came over after that night. Their sessions didn't just allow Sakuno to learn many tactics to beat opponents in _Shougi_. She also learned new things about Tezuka. For example, the fact that the captain loves to fish, as well as a little bit about the captain's somewhat strange friendship with Sanada Genichirou, Rikkai Dai's _fukubuchou_. Those "babysitting" times with the _buchou_ were moments that were greatly treasured by Sakuno. Thanks to them, she had the pleasure to get to know the actual Tezuka Kunimitsu, not just as the skilled tennis captain, but the real person.

It wasn't long until Sakuno unconsciously began to think of him as her big brother because that's exactly how he acted towards her—protective, though always supporting. And one time, "Kunimitsu-_nii" _just accidentally slipped out when she addressed the _buchou_. She nervously waited for a sign of distress on his face upon the sudden change in formality. To her relief, there was none. He didn't even appear to be bothered by it. Or if he was, he didn't show it.

From that point on, Sakuno had secretly referred to him as "Kunimitsu-_nii_" and sometimes even braved to call him by that name whenever they were alone. She still felt uncomfortable displaying hints of their secret bond in front of the others, however, so she still referred to him as _buchou_ whenever they were in public.

"I knew Tezuka-kun is still here," Sengoku said, trying to break the tense atmosphere in the hospital room.

Tezuka did not say anything and turned his head to look outside the window. He did not make any indication that he acknowledged the two teenagers' presence. Sakuno was somewhat hurt by this cold reception.

Sengoku raised an eyebrow. He was used to seeing Tezuka's indifference towards most people but he was expecting the captain to be a tiny bit warmer when dealing with people who are actually close to him. The Ryuzaki girl is his _kouhai_, for pete's sake. He could at least greet back, or raise a hand, or nod, or even twitch—anything!

To make up for Tezuka's cold reception, the happy-go-lucky player moved to take the basket of fruits from Sakuno and then set it on the bedside table. "It's sad that Akutsu won't be able to enjoy these delicious fruits. But I promise that they won't go to waste, Ryuzaki-san," Sengoku said in a cheerful tone. "Or maybe Akutsu'll perform a miracle tonight and actually wake up from his beauty rest, who knows, right?" he ranted as he took one of the available chairs in the room and offered it to Sakuno.

Sakuno thanked him, though hesitated upon taking the actual seat. Even with her Kunimitsu-_nii_ inside the room, she still felt out of place. Actually, Tezuka's "zero-degree" welcome just aggravated the feeling.

She finally took the seat, not wanting to offend Sengoku. As the chair was positioned so that it directly faces the limp person on the bed, Sakuno had no choice but to observe Akutsu Jin. Before she can help it, she had softly asked, "How is Akutsu-san doing?"

Sengoku took another chair and saddled it, sitting on it the "bad boy" way. "The doctor said he's slipped into a coma. He wasn't able to tell us when he'll wake up." Sengoku purposely avoided saying the 'or if he'll ever wake up' part. He believes in his teammate, damn it. And he's pretty sure that Akutsu would soon wake up and give him a good beating or two for worrying needlessly.

"_Sou_…" Sakuno frowned, worried about the player. Even though she doesn't know him that well, she knew that Akutsu Jin had helped Seigaku before, especially Taka-san. That was one of the reasons why the young sushi chef had been so affected by the tragedy.

"Have they caught the one who was responsible for his attack?" Sakuno asked out of curiosity. Upon looking at Sengoku to listen to his reply, she saw the lad's eyes harden.

"The police said that it's probably just one of his usual brawls gone bad. They have a point since Akutsu has a tendency to be very violent, but I don't buy it. Not many people can take down Akutsu just like that. If you asked me, it's more likely that-"

"We should leave now," Tezuka cut off Sengoku's rant and moved to head towards the door. Sengoku blinked in confusion while Sakuno simply stared at him.

"There might be more visitors soon. I can accompany you home," the captain said, looking directly at Sakuno.

It took Sakuno a moment, but she soon stood up and hesitantly uttered a "_h__ai_."

Sengoku was about to say that it's okay for them to stay, even if there are more visitors coming, but of course, he didn't have the nerve to defy Tezuka. Hardly anyone does.

The Seigaku captain opened the door and stood beside it, waiting for Sakuno. At this point, the young girl had no choice but to comply. She quickly thanked Sengoku and went out. She was followed immediately by Tezuka and the soft shutting of the door.

* * *

Once outside, Sakuno began to think of how to start a conversation with her Kunimitsu-_nii_. She had to be extra careful especially since he doesn't seem to be in a good mood right now. She was idly looking at their path when she noticed a familiar boy wearing a white cap, leaning against a tree, and drinking Ponta.

He seemed to be waiting for someone.

"Ryoma-kun? You're still here?" Sakuno asked, surprised.

The said boy turned his head upon hearing his name. Sakuno gave him a tentative smile before approaching him. She noticed that his feline-like eyes widened a fraction for a second when he noticed that his _buchou_ was walking a few feet behind her. The prince continued to fix his eyes on the captain. Tezuka stared back in return. An unspoken conversation seemed to be taking place between them.

Sakuno looked from Ryoma to Tezuka and back to Ryoma again. Unsure about what's going on, she repeated her query, "_A-ano, _Ryoma-kun?"

Her words broke the spell and the prince moved to pick up his tennis bag. "'Was just passing by. I'm going home," the boy said before walking away from them.

* * *

'_Yappari ne,' _Sakuno thought. 'He really seems to be mad at me.' She gave a sideways glance to the hard form of Tezuka, who was walking beside her.

She wondered what she did this time and how she can make amends for it. Sakuno then proceeded to commence the tactic she usually uses at critical times like this—start apologizing for things until she hits the jack spot.

"_Gomen ne,_ Kuni-_" _She shook her head, she can't use the nickname at times like this. "_Iie_, _gomen_, _buchou_. I shouldn't have inquired so boldly about Akutsu-san's situation. It's really none of my business," Sakuno uttered in a weak voice.

Tezuka would usually say "don't worry about it" if the thing she was apologizing for was not the thing he's currently upset about. Upon not receiving any reply, she was both glad and distressed that she bingoed on the problem right away.

"_Ano_, I promise not to do it again. I was just worried about Akutsu-san," Sakuno appealed.

Too bad.  
Still no reaction from Tezuka.

She gave up after five more minutes of appealing. It wasn't until they were about a quarter mile away from her house when he spoke.

"Don't get involved," Tezuka said in his usual serious voice though there was something puzzling about it. Sakuno decided not to push her luck by asking more questions and simply uttered an obedient "_h__aiii."_

"And don't venture off to unfamiliar places if you're only going to get lost."

Sakuno cringed upon hearing that one. Tezuka must've magically guessed that she got lost again. Or maybe he had seen her arriving with Ryoma from his view through the window in Akutsu's room, and deduced that she had gotten lost again. As amazing as Tezuka is, the latter one sounds more plausible.

"And," the captain continued. Sakuno bowed her head, ready for another reprimand.

"I prefer 'Kunimitsu-_nii_.'"

Sakuno felt her eyes considerably widen in surprise. She was definitely not expecting to hear that one. She tried to meet the captain's eyes but his eyes were temporarily concealed by the light reflecting off his glasses.

She smiled to herself in delight, completely touched by his words. This is what usually goes on between them. Tezuka would get upset over a foolish mistake she made, she'd apologize, he'd give her the cold treatment for a while, she'd be silent, then he'd start his lecture, and then almost all the time, he'd end it saying or doing something that makes everything okay again. This one is the most touching thing he's ever said to her so far, however. And for that, she's really happy.

"Last but not the least," the captain said, back to his business tone.

"Don't let your guard down," they both said at the same time.

Sakuno turned to give him a glowing smile, her cheeks flushed with a pleasant hue of pink. Although his face did not show much emotion, she can tell from the slightest hint of softening in his eyes that he was also complacent now.

They reached Sakuno's house soon and she eagerly asked if the captain wanted to come over for tea. He politely refused saying he had some important things to take care of. Although a bit disappointed, she waved cheerfully and watched her Kunimitsu-_nii_ depart. She only entered her house when the captain finally turned a corner, completely disappearing from her view.

Sakuno was completely happy. This had definitely been one of the best days of her life. She slept peacefully that night, having no whatsoever idea of the trials and tragedies that were to come very soon. In fact, very, very soon.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **

Longest chapter so far! And it's full of TezuSaku, LOL , the hardest couple to write for me! Although they had more of a brotherly-sisterly relationship in this chapter. But of course, it's still open to interpretations xD

Sorry if there was a long explanation of how Tezuka and Sakuno got close. I had to include that since it will be an important factor in this story. There wasn't much of a development, plot-wise, but we'll definitely move forward next chapter! Please read and review, _minna-_san! Until next time!

**Japanese Vocabulary**

_Yappari ne_ - As I thought; I thought so

_Shougi_ – Japanese chess

_Fukubuchou_ – vice captain

_sou_ - so that's how


	7. Panic

**VII. Panic**

_The atmosphere around them was full of tension. _

_Staring at the back of the lad before her, she realized a little too late that this was the very thing that she feared the most. _

_Drip. _

_**Anxiety.**_

_Drop. _

_**Denial.**_

_Drip._

_And of course, the tell-tale signs of the coming __**pain**__. She knew what was going to come. She has read the signs, and yet, stupidly enough, chose to ignore it._

_Drip. Drop. _

_She wished with all her heart that she could take it back. That she had never said it in the first place. Then, perhaps, they could return to the past. Back to when it was all okay. Back to normal._

_However, his next words mercilessly crushed her hopes._

"_Warui naa, I don't feel the same."_

_Then the rain came down in full-blown force, starting to drench both the boy and herself. To her, the rain drops felt like a thousand tiny shards piercing her body. The heart-wrenching pain was almost unbelievable. She didn't know that it would hurt that bad. Either way, she was grateful for the rain because it camouflaged her tears._

_Ironically enough, she knew it already. She had known it all along. But still, hearing it out loud somehow made the pain much more excruciating. _

_The pain of __**rejection**_**.**

_He took one step away from her. And then another. And before she can help it, he was starting to walk away._

"_R-" she helplessly mumbled, raising a hand, as if to reach out to him. "R-Ryoma-kun__…_" 

"_Don't go," she whispered, in the most heart-breaking voice. She fell on her knees, unable to summon the energy to remain standing. _

_Then the rest happened all too fast. _

_She saw flashes of a black coat, as a man overtook Ryoma. She helplessly watched the guy wrap an arm around the neck of the prince. _

_And then, as if the attack was especially done for her, he flipped their positions, placing Ryoma in front of him so she can fully see the show. _

_A silver flash._

_A single strong motion that produced a spreeek and slosh sound._

_Drip. _

_Drop. _

_Drip. Drop._

_Blood. _

_A pretty red color staining the white Seigaku uniform of the prince. _

_And she couldn't take it any longer._

_She screamed._

_She screamed and screamed, amidst many tears of desperate agony._

_But that wasn't the worst part of it. The thing that almost drove her to insanity was the last part. The part when the man finally removed his hood, and revealed his face._

_Sakuno stared at him in horror then shook her head slowly in a crazed form of denial._

"_It can't be…" _

_More tears._

"_It can't be!"_

* * *

Sakuno woke up panting and stared at the white ceiling of her room. She stayed in that position for a few minutes before finally deciding to sit up on her bed. With a single touch on her face, she realized that she had been crying in her sleep.

But who wouldn't have cried? That dream, it was just… horrible. She didn't even want to think about it.

The faint sound of noises coming from the TV barely registered to her mind. She must've fallen asleep while she was watching.

"… Saeki Kojirou is the fourth victim of this seemingly unique round of assaults. It came as a shock to the public, as only four days before, another tennis player from Okinawa who went by the name of Kei Tanishi was attacked in a similar fashion. He was stabbed, then left to die-" Sakuno quickly turned off the TV, not wanting to hear the tragic news again.

Hearing it once was enough.

However, she knew that she couldn't ignore reality just by turning off a news program.

Two weeks after Akutsu Jin was attacked, the murderer seemingly went on a rampage. He had attacked three more tennis players. As mentioned by the news, Saeki Kojirou from Rokkaku and Kei Tanishi from Higa were among the victims. Fortunately, like Akutsu Jin, they had been found quickly and rushed to the emergency room.

Unfortunately, like Akutsu Jin, they also slipped into a coma.

The last victim of the attack was not as fortunate. It was too late when an innocent old lady, passing by a deserted street, found him.

The victim was Daichi Kiriyama. A player from Jyousei Shounan.

Shutting her eyes to force herself to stop thinking about the attacks, Sakuno jumped up from her bed. She headed to the bathroom located across her room to splash cold water on her face. The girl was in the middle of getting a towel when she heard voices coming from downstairs.

Sakuno recognized immediately that one of them belonged to her grandmother. The other took her a few more seconds to identify.

'Echizen-san…?'

She quietly descended the stairs to confirm her guess.

"Why did you suddenly bring this up, Nanjiroh? You usually just don't come here to talk about random incidents in the past." Sumire directed a piercing look at the "Samurai" tennis prodigy.

The man chuckled easily. "You're always so suspicious, old woman. I was just reminiscing, that's all." He was chewing on a toothpick, while nonchalantly resting his feet on the coffee table.

"People usually reminisce about happy moments, not tragedies," Sumire spat back.

Nanjiroh snorted. "Geez, you don't have to bite my head off. Wonder why old prunes are always so bitter."

Bad move.

The moment he said it, hot air seemed to have come out of the old coach's ears and she balled her hands into fists.

"Ah, ah, I was talking about fruits- actual fruits!" Nanjiroh hastily explained. It was useless though. He was about to get another brutal beating from the old dragon when his cellphone rang.

'Saved by the bell,' Nanjiroh thought in relief. He quickly pushed a button on the device to answer the call.

"_Yo_, Nanjiroh _da_."

The other person on the line seemed to rant for two minutes or so while Nanjiroh just listened with an annoyed look on his face.

"_Wakatta, wakatta,"_ he finally said, "I'll go search for the brat." With that, he ended the call and stood up. Sumire shot him a questioning glance.

"It was Rinko," Nanjiroh began to explain and yawned. "It seems like that _seishounen_ hasn't come home yet. With all the serial murderer thing going on, she's become more paranoid about the boy."

"She has a reason to. Ryoma should know better," Sumire reasoned out.

Upon hearing this, Sakuno felt a sharp pang in her heart. 'Ryoma-kun isn't home yet?' She glanced at the clock located on their stairs. It read 10:24 pm.

"It's his own fault. I warned him. But as usual, he ignores his benevolent father and still goes off playing tennis in distant courts until who knows what time," he complained. "I told him that if he wants to get himself killed, it's fine with me, but at least leave me with an heir first, you know. The Echizen clan has to keep going," Nanjiroh wiggled his eyebrows suggestively to emphasize his point.

Sumire hit him with a newspaper.

"Ow, sheez. Might as well go now before I, myself, get murdered in this house," Nanjiroh said as he started to head towards the door. On his way, he grabbed an opened album that was lying on the coffee table.

"I'll be borrowing this for a while. I'm making a scrapbook," he told Sumire, waving the album in the air.

Sumire frowned and said in a serious tone, "Nanjiroh, don't tell me…"

"I really need to go, old woman. Besides, I prefer dating younger girls anyway."

_Smack._

Thanks to his reflexes as a skilled tennis player, Nanjiroh managed to close the door just in time before a heavy hard-bound book was flung at him.

* * *

'Ryoma-kun is not home yet,' Sakuno thought, completely bothered. Her nightmare from several minutes ago suddenly replayed in her mind. Her eyes widened, realizing something. '_Masaka_…'

Sakuno immediately grabbed a jacket and a scarf. She ran down the stairs in a hurry and called out to her _obaa-chan_.

"_Gomen_, _obaa-chan_. I have to quickly come over to Mako-chan's house."

Mako is Sakuno's classmate who lives right next to their house. Sakuno thought that if she used that excuse, her grandmother would worry less.

Sumire frowned at her from the kitchen. "At this hour?" she asked, about to prohibit the brunette from leaving the house. Before Sumire can say another word, however, Sakuno made another excuse.

"I'll be back soon, _obaa-chan_. I just remembered I left Tomo-chan's shirt at her house. Tomo-chan needs it early tomorrow morning!" She was half-way out the door but she turned her head to quickly flash a smile at her grandmother.

After that, she was gone like the wind.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Looks like an eventful chapter, ne? There're many clues to solving the big mystery that are embedded in this chapter. They just don't make sense yet since they are not fully explained.

Oh, and just so some of you guys don't get confused, that confrontation between Sakuno and Ryoma actually happened. Sakuno confessed and Ryoma rejected her for some reason. That jerk! xD That was why their relationship was strained at the beginning of this story.

The other half of her dream, however, with the murderer thing was just something that was added to her dream. It may or may not happen xD

Until next time : ) R&R please.

**Japanese Vocabulary**

_Warui naa_ – My bad

_Nanjiroh da_ – It's Nanjiroh

_Wakatta_ – I understand

_Seishounen_ – young person


	8. Deja vu

**VIII. Déjà Vu**

'Where is he?' Sakuno desperately thought, hoping to find the boy she cares so much about. She had already searched two tennis courts near their area and found no traces of the boy.

Earlier, she called Nanako to ask whether Nanjiroh has found Ryoma yet. It was a smart move since if she asked Ryoma's mom, the concerned lady might call her grandmother and she would be busted. Plus, she is somewhat closer to the prince's cousin.

After hearing a negative from Nanako, Sakuno asked her if she would be kind enough to text her once Nanjiroh finds him. Until now, she still hasn't received any message. It can only mean that Nanjiroh hasn't found Ryoma yet.

Then, Sakuno suddenly stopped running. She realized that she cannot afford to waste more time. What if something has already happened to Ryoma? She needed to find him as soon as possible.

'Now think, Sakuno, think.' She closed her eyes and tried to concentrate. 'Where would Ryoma-kun be?'

Unfortunately, flashes of her nightmare were the only things that came to her mind at that moment. She cannot focus since she was so worried about the prince.

_Drip. Drop. Blood._

'_Dame!_' she scolded herself. 'You need to focus.'

And then her eyes suddenly opened in realization. 'Wait a minute,' Sakuno thought. 'In my dream, we were in that location before the attack happened.'

She did a complete turn around and ran as fast as her legs can carry her. She knew exactly where she has to go.

* * *

When she arrived at the old tennis court, she was completely out of breath.

This was it. The place from her dream.

She wiped some sweat off her brows and entered the court immediately. Glancing around, she found no traces of the boy and was disappointed.

Sakuno didn't give up, however, and went to the back of the restroom buildings to check. Her efforts weren't wasted as she finally saw a distinct red racket lying on top of a bench near the water fountains.

It was Ryoma's.

Looking further, she found a tennis bag that has "Echizen" embroidered on it and some scattered tennis balls around the area.

Instead of feeling relieved, however, her apprehension only aggravated as she didn't find the tennis prince anywhere near his belongings.

He couldn't have been—

Sakuno felt a painful tug at her chest.

'No, it can't be,' she miserably thought. She fell on her knees, disheartened.

'Ryoma-kun couldn't have been—'

"Lost again?"

The same cool voice interrupted her for the second time.

It was like déjà vu. She has experienced this before.

Sakuno slowly turned towards the source of the voice, afraid that she might just be imagining things.

To her immense relief, the person didn't disappear. Nor was he an illusion.

The same yellow apathetic eyes were staring back at her when she finally dared to look up. Unwillingly, tears started to form in her expressive eyes.

"_Y-yokatta,"_ she said shakily, smiling through her tears.

"_Yokatta_, Ryoma-kun." Overcome with emotions, she suddenly lunged and tightly hugged the prince who immediately stiffened upon the contact.

* * *

"Tch. How troublesome," Ryoma muttered after Sakuno explained the circumstances of how she got there and why she was looking for him. The slight redness of his cheeks was evidence that he was still a little flustered by the sudden close contact he had with the girl just moments ago.

Sakuno frowned at the indifference of her companion. They were walking side by side, heading back to Sakuno's house. She had learned that the prince had fallen asleep after training and had only woken up a few minutes before she arrived at the tennis court.

"It's not something that you can just ignore, Ryoma-kun. You should be more careful. With a murderer running around, it really is dangerous to stay out late. Your mother was—"

"And it wasn't dangerous for you to be running around at this time of the night?" Ryoma countered, his voice carried a slight hint of anger. "What if you met the murderer?"

Ryoma saw the girl widen her eyes at his questions. Just as he suspected, she didn't think of herself again. It was always like this with her. She's always been selfless. And for some reason, it pisses him off.

"_D-demo_, the murderer only attacks tennis players," she blurted out as a lame excuse.

"You are a tennis player. Although a very lousy one."

Sakuno frowned at the insult but chose to ignore it for now. She looked down and replied in a meek voice. "I guess I didn't really think. But it's because Ryoma-kun is much more important—"

"Stop that," Ryoma suddenly exclaimed. He had stopped walking. Sakuno can tell that she had said something that upset him.

"Don't say things like that," he gritted out, voice deeper than usual.

Sakuno couldn't do anything but stare at the prince helplessly. She was so stupid, she gloomily thought. Everything was returning to normal and she was screwing it up again.

"_Hai_. _G-gomen_." She bit her bottom lip and tried to blink away the tears that were threatening to form in her eyes.

* * *

When they reached Sakuno's house, they found Ryuzaki Sumire waiting at the front door. She had a frightening look in her eyes that automatically sentenced Sakuno to a month-long grounding.

"So you two troublemakers were together, after all," she began and turned to glare at Ryoma. "You're lucky I'm not your coach anymore, Ryoma. Though, I swear, if I find out that you had done something to my granddaughter, I shall take out my axe and come after you myself."

"_Baa-chan!_" Sakuno protested. "It wasn't Ryoma-kun's fault. I went out to look for him myself," she guiltily admitted.

Ryuzaki Sumire was still hyperventilating but she decided to control her temper by pinching the bridge of her nose and letting out a frustrated sigh. Grudgingly, she told Ryoma that he can stay in the house for a while until Nanjiroh comes over and picks him up.

Ryoma had declined her offer, however, saying that his house is only three blocks away and that he can walk home alone. He had a staring contest with Sumire for a minute or so until Sumire finally gave up. The old coach then went inside in order to give Nanjiroh a call and tell him that his son is on his way home.

"I better go," Ryoma simply told Sakuno before he turned to walk away.

Seeing Ryoma walk away like that reminded Sakuno of her nightmare again. Instinctively, she reached out and clutched Ryoma's shirt to hold onto him.

Ryoma paused in his steps and gave Sakuno a questioning look.

"_Nani_?" he asked apathetically.

Sakuno, unable to say anything to explain her actions, and also not wanting to upset Ryoma anymore by sputtering nonsense, couldn't do anything but look down. She was still tightly clutching Ryoma's shirt, as if afraid that he'll disappear once she lets go of it.

Oddly enough, Ryoma didn't repeat his question. Instead, he settled to observe her for a few moments. Then, as if he had finally reached a decision, he forcefully moved away from her and made her let go of his shirt.

Sakuno was about to protest but she was taken by surprise when he did not walk away and turned to face her, instead. She blushed as he moved closer.

"_Mattaku_, you really are troublesome," the prince mumbled as he opened his tennis bag and grabbed his cellphone. Sakuno blinked, curious as to what he's going to do.

"Give me your number," Ryoma demanded.

"E-eh?" was all Sakuno could mutter as she stared at the prince, completely confused.

"Give me your number so I can text you when I get home." He looked at her directly, his handsome face as confident as ever, though he was blushing a little. "That way, you won't have to worry yourself to death," he finished.

Sakuno flushed even deeper but managed to give a small nod in reply. After she told him her number, he put back his phone in his bag and then proceeded to depart.

But before he completely disappeared, Sakuno called out to him again.

"What is it now?" he said, irritation evident on his voice.

"_Ano_… _arigatou_, Ryoma-kun." Sakuno gave him an affectionate smile—a smile so cute that he almost fully blushed in front of her. "_Hontou ni arigatou_."

The smile completely took Ryoma by surprise that he almost faltered in his reply.

"_M-Mada mada, _Ryuzaki," the prince muttered and quickly left before she can make him do any other stupid things.

When he was safely out of her earshot, a fond smirk slowly formed on his face as he whispered silently: "_Baka_. _I _should thank _you_."

* * *

Later that night, as tired as Sakuno was, she refused to sleep until she gets a word that Ryoma had reached home safely. About a minute later, true to his words, she received a text from a new number. She read the message with a contented smile and soon dozed off, finally allowing herself to get the much needed rest.

The text simply said: "I'm home. Go to sleep."

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Another RyoSaku? Lol. Well, I'm addicted to RyoSaku, that's why. I promise that the next chapter will have a completely different focus though. Actually, it'll include something that hasn't even been introduced into this story yet so I'm pretty excited about it.

Some Rikkai Dai boys for next chapter, anyone?

LOL.

Please Read & Review.

**Japanese Vocabulary**

_Dame_ - stop it; you can't

_Yokatta _– I'm relieved; I'm happy (usually used if you're happy for somebody; for example, if you're happy that they're okay)

_Demo_ - but

_Nani_ – what; what is it

_Mattaku_ – an expression that expresses slight frustration though not really used in a negative way

_Hontou ni arigatou_ – really thank you

_mada mada - _long way to go

_Baka_ – idiot; stupid


	9. Spotted Again

**IX. Spotted Again**

"You're worried about us getting attacked?" a lively male voice asked in disbelief. It was soon followed by hearty chuckles and snickers.

"Hahahahahah." Marui Bunta, the volley specialist from Rikkai Dai, paused from laughing for a second and pinched one of Sakuno's cheeks teasingly. "You're so cute, Sakuno-chan."

Sakuno pouted adorably at him. "_Mou_, why am I the only one who's taking this seriously?" She rubbed her sore cheeks when Bunta finally released her.

At the moment, the teenagers were lounging in a cozy little café that happened to be the same place Sakuno works at.

It's been almost a year since Sakuno had befriended the Rikkai Dai regulars. The incident was quite coincidental. One day, while in Tokyo, Marui Bunta was afflicted by an agonizing hunger. He quickly rushed to the nearest café, intending to stuff himself with his all-time favorite food—cakes. What he didn't expect when he entered the café was that he was just about to discover the most delicious, mouth-watering, heavenly, chocolate cake ever made in history.

There was no other way to describe it. Marui Bunta fell in love—in love with the cakes from that particular café.

Eager to find out who had made the delectable desert, he rushed to the counter and asked for the baker. The owner kindly complied and grabbed a person from the kitchen. When the owner returned, Bunta was pleasantly surprised to see a super cute girl wearing two ridiculously long, yet adorable braids with her.

That girl was none other than Ryuzaki Sakuno.

Sakuno had been volunteering to work at the café during Saturdays, granted that she usually didn't have anything to do that day since everyone's busy. Tomoka often has her hands full with babysitting duties while the Seigaku team, on the other hand, has a rigorous training practice that didn't require her presence as a manager.

The volley specialist, unable to forget the taste of the cake, made it a personal hobby to drop by the café at least twice a month. Of course, he only visited when Sakuno was working. And during those times, he often dragged along two or three of his teammates as well.

"It's not that we're taking it as a laughing matter. But you should know that we can take care of ourselves. Have some faith, won't you?" Bunta winked at her before taking a sip from his glass of soda.

Sakuno was about to defend her point when a hand settled on her head and ruffled her hair. Turning, she came face-to-face with Kirihara Akaya. The young girl didn't miss the playful glint in his green eyes nor the mischievous smirk that was written on the second year's face as he looked at her.

"You're such a worrywart, Sa-chan," he said, sitting down beside her.

Although her cheeks couldn't help but flush upon his actions, Sakuno managed to frown at the Rikkai Dai junior ace. "I think I've been getting that a lot lately."

Now if somebody would ask Sakuno who among the Rikkai Dai players she is closest to, she would say Kirihara's name in a heartbeat. Those two had developed a unique and controversial friendship over the few months they had gotten to know each other. Ironically enough, when Kirihara first met Sakuno, he mostly ignored her. He had seen her many times in his camps and during Rikkai's matches against Seigaku but never bothered with her. She just didn't catch his attention.

It was thanks to a weird combination of oversleeping on a bus, getting lost, a heavy rain, an old shack, and a high fever that Kirihara's opinion of the girl changed. Apparently, they both managed to have gotten themselves lost during a stormy weather and coincidentally bumped into each other when they took shelter inside a rundown shack. Kirihara remembered acting rude towards the poor girl. He couldn't help it. He was having a very bad day, and to top it all, he was running a very high fever.

The rest of that evening was fuzzy to him. All he remembered was that he passed out sometime after he harshly pushed the girl away and shouted at her to leave him alone when the girl was only concerned about his flushed appearance and disoriented actions. When he woke up the next morning, there was a handkerchief resting on his forehead and a warm fuzzy jacket draped over his body. Glancing to the side, he was surprised to find the girl sitting a few paces away from him. She appeared to have fallen asleep in that sitting position.

That's when everything came together for the junior ace**—**the girl had stayed and had kindly taken care of him despite of the way he treated her last night!

It was something that no one had ever done for him before. Once he snapped and flashed his scary eyes at school or at the tennis courts, people would immediately cower in fear and run away. He got used to that kind of treatment and was thus kind of isolated from people outside of his tennis team.

But this girl...she's _different_.

Kirihara wanted to apologize or at least say thank you when Sakuno woke up, but his boyish pride prevented him from uttering a word. After making sure that his fever had gone down, she had politely excused herself and left.

Alone in the shack, he remembered thinking regretfully that he should have at least asked for her name.

But luck was apparently on his side. Kirihara was uncharacteristically glad when he found out that the girl from the shack worked at the same café his Marui-_senpai_ had one day dragged him to. Right there and then, he decided that he won't let any chance pass by again. He _will_ befriend and get to know this girl. The junior ace made a vow to himself that he would find a way to properly thank the girl for the kindness she showed to him that night. Someday, he definitely would...and in his own Akaya way.

And so, from then on, Kirihara had been the constant companion of Bunta whenever he visited the café in Tokyo. Sometimes, he even dropped by even when Bunta's not with him.

"Besides," Bunta continued their conversation. "Just look at that brat beside you. One look at him would frighten the most wicked criminal in the world. So there's really no need to worry."

Kirihara was about to nod proudly at the compliment when he realized that maybe it wasn't a compliment after all. He glared suspiciously at the red-haired man, sitting opposite him and Sakuno. "_Oi_, what the heck does that mean, Marui-_senpai_?"

"Ask me, Akaya."

"But I just asked you, _senpai_!" Kirihara said, starting to get annoyed.

"That's why I said 'ask me,'" Bunta replied, a challenging smile on his face, which elicited a growl from the junior ace.

Sakuno smiled fondly as she watched the two regulars start to argue back and forth. That was when she finally noticed that the other member, who came with the two today, had been missing for a while.

"_A-ano_. Where did Niou-san go?" she asked.

Bunta and Kirihara stopped their bickering and shared a look.

"Oh crap," they said at the same time.

As if on cue, an explosion was heard in the café followed by an angry shout: "Sakuno! Get that monstrous Rikkai player out of this café now!"

* * *

Sakuno bowed repeatedly in front of Tachibana An.

The loud and angry voice that was heard moments ago belonged to the younger sibling of Tachibana Kippei, the captain of the Fudomine tennis team. An was actually the one who recruited Sakuno to work at the café. She told the younger girl that it would be more fun to work at the place with a friend she knows.

An was not having that much "fun" at this very moment, however, as she was currently covered in baking powder thanks to Masaharu Niou.

Niou had set up a baking powder bomb in the café, which was craftily designed to set off once somebody steps on a string he prepared.

An was the unfortunate victim of the prank. _Again_.

As usual, Sakuno was left to apologize to her dear friend on behalf of Niou. The trickster made a hasty escape right after he had a few chuckles at the expense of the now white-haired Tachibana An. Fortunately, An had forgiven her, saying it wasn't really her fault. However, An made Sakuno pinky promise that she would closely watch over the prankster the next time he visits the café.

* * *

After she helped An clean her face in the kitchen, Sakuno went back to check on her Rikkai friends. She was surprised when she found Kirihara alone at the table. The boy was uncharacteristically quiet and was looking outside the window.

She sat down quietly before him. Upon noticing her presence, the boy quickly glanced away from the window and plastered on a childish smirk.

"What's with the face, Sa-chan? Don't tell me we got banned from the café," Kirihara half-jokingly inquired.

"_Iie_, An-chan would never do that." Sakuno gave him her signature cute pout. "Although, it'll be nice if Niou-san would go easy on her once in a while."

Kirihara laughed boyishly, his brilliant green eyes laughing with him. "It was pretty cool though. Niou-_senpai_ creates the most epic pranks ever. I should ask him to take me in as an apprentice. I could easily own that trade," he said as he leaned back and put his arm on the sofa's headrest.

Sakuno noticed that he was giving the window quick, furtive glances when he thought she wasn't looking. It was suspiciously similar to how Ryoma acted when he accompanied her to the hospital weeks before.

"But I think I like Akaya-kun as he is," Sakuno replied, not really paying attention to their conversation.

Kirihara was in the middle of drinking his soda when she uttered those words. He almost choked on his drink and started to cough.

"_Uwah_! Akaya-kun, _daijobu_?" Sakuno came over to the boy's side and leaned closer to him to gently pat his back. Kirihara took advantage of the situation. He grabbed a hold of her wrist, trapping her in their current position. They were about twelve inches apart from each other's face.

He playfully grinned at her. "What was that, Sa-chan?" he said, his green eyes sparkling. "You said something just a while ago."

"_E-eh_?" Sakuno blushed and tried to move away. "_Ano_, I didn't—"

"Heck yeah, you did. You said—"

"W-where did Marui-kun and Niou-san go?" she quickly uttered, hoping to divert Akaya's attention. It worked like magic as she saw Akaya's eyes lose some of the excitement they displayed just moments ago. He soon released her and gave the window a quick glance again.

"Marui-_senpai_ said he'd check on Niou-_senpai_. He told me to say goodbye to you before he left," he replied, quite distracted.

"They left already?" Sakuno asked, a little disappointed.

Not wanting to sadden her, Kirihara immediately switched back to his cheerful and cocky attitude and gave her his full attention again. "Don't worry. We'll visit again, Sa-chan. In fact, we'll be back so soon you won't even get a chance to miss us."

"I hope not too soon," An dryly commented from the counter.

Kirihara chuckled as he stood up. "Heheh. Thanks for the love, amazon girl," he said sarcastically.

An sent him a glare, which he easily ignored.

"Akaya-kun is leaving too?" Sakuno frowned deeper.

"_Warui._ Got a train to catch." He grinned and gave her a small salute.

Before he exited the café, he quickly called out: "Oh, keep your phone on, Sa-chan. I might call later since I need to ask you something." He gave her one last smirk. "_Jya_."

* * *

Kirihara casually walked away from the shop. After walking for about three minutes, he quickly turned a corner and ran back to the café using another street. He stopped at the back of the building that was right next to the shop. He peeked around its corner. From this location, he had a perfect view of the street in front of the café.

He saw the same man that he had spotted from the shop—a man who was wearing a black coat and a huge hat that covered his face. The person hasn't moved an inch and was still seemingly observing the things going on inside the café from his somewhat hidden location behind a parked car. Kirihara noticed that the suspicious guy also seemed to be listening to a device on his ear.

Clenching his fist, he realized in dismay that the guy wasn't targeting him after all. That was what he originally thought back at the café and that was why he opted to leave as soon as possible. He didn't want to endanger Sakuno and the other people in the shop, if ever the man was actually dangerous.

The junior ace frowned, a little confused.

If he wasn't targeting him, nor his _senpai_'s as they had already left the shop before him, then who was he targeting?

As the Rikkai junior ace was too focused on watching the suspicious guy across the street, he failed to sense another presence that was coming closer and closer to him.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Dun dun dunnnn. Lol. Yeah, I'm going to stop there for now. This is way longer chapter than the previous ones, ne?

Also, as school has already started for me (boooo!), updates might be less frequent and might take longer. I'll try to work on the story whenever I get free times : )

Review please! It might inspire me to update sooner even though I'm busy (hint, hint). Just kidding xD

**Japanese Vocabulary**

_warui_- my bad; it's bad


	10. Eavesdroppers

**X. Eavesdroppers**

It was too late when Kirihara felt the intruder's presence. A hand had already reached out and covered his mouth before he can even turn his head to see the person's face. Prompted by natural instincts, Kirihara immediately struggled against his attacker.

Imagine the junior ace's surprise when the "ouch" he heard from the person, after he gave the guy a sharp elbow to the side, sounded familiar.

Too familiar, in fact.

The pain from the attack weakened the intruder's grip on the second year boy. Kirihara took this as a chance to escape and then quickly turned around to face his attacker.

"Marui-_senpai_!" Kirihara loudly exclaimed, shooting an accusing glare at the third-year boy. Alarmed by his loud voice, the volley specialist quickly placed a finger on his lips, imploring the boy to quiet down.

And then Bunta quickly peeked around the corner to make sure that the man Kirihara was watching wasn't alerted by the loud exclamation. Upon seeing that the suspicious guy was still busy watching the café, he let out a sigh of relief and hid behind the building again.

"Smart move, Akaya," Bunta chided, giving his _kouhai_ a stern look.

Kirihara reddened and glared childishly at his _senpai_. "How the heck was that my fault?" He realized that he spoke quite loudly again and immediately lowered his voice. "You don't sneak up on people like that, _senpai_! You just don't!"

"_Puri_," a voice suddenly whispered behind Kirihara, making the poor boy jump instinctively. Unfortunately, as he was right next to the wall, the junior ace hit his shoulder against its hard surface.

"_Itaaai_!" Kirihara cried out, nursing a forming bruise on his shoulder. He glared at the snickering Niou, who appeared out of nowhere. "That wasn't funny, Niou-_senpai_!"

"Actually, it kinda was," Bunta said, trying to not to laugh, though failing horribly at it.

"_Senpai-tachiii_, you are just horrible," Kirihara muttered, shooting glares at them. "What are you doing here anyway?" he suddenly asked.

"Same thing as you, seaweed-haired brat," Niou replied, moving to the corner to watch the stalker across the street. "But we were much more sneakier about it."

Kirihara felt like retaliating against the insult but decided against it. There were pressing matters that needed to be discussed.

"So you saw him too?" Kirihara asked, also moving to the corner to get a view of the man. "When did you guys notice him?"

"Way earlier than you," Bunta replied. He blew a balloon out of a gum he just put in his mouth, then popped it. He needed extra glucose right now. "Actually, Niou noticed him first. He pulled off that prank so he can have more chances to observe who the stalker was watching, without attracting suspicion to himself."

Upon hearing that his _senpai-tachi_ outdid him again, the second year boy grimaced. Though like the earlier insult, he subdued the feeling for now.

"And?" Kirihara looked at the red-haired man, anxious to know the answer. He hoped with all his heart that the target wasn't Sakuno.

Bunta languidly leaned against the wall of the building before he answered his _kouhai_. "It was hard to tell. The man wasn't really watching anyone but the café in general. He never once looked at a particular person. We suspected that his real intention was to actually just eavesdrop."

"Eavesdrop?" The junior ace's green eyes widened in alert.

"_Tch_. The listening device on his ears was obvious. I also found the bug he planted while I was setting up my trick," Niou uttered, finally deciding to join his companions' conversation.

Kirihara felt tension quickly build up in his body. "So did you remove the bug, _senpai_?"

Niou hit him in the head. "_Baka! _If I had removed the bug, that crook would've been alerted and would've quickly bolted away with his tail in between his legs."

The junior ace hissed and rubbed the spot where Niou hit him, muttering another "_Ittaaiiii._"

"The most logical action after Niou's discovery was to find out who he was eavesdropping on. With the news of the serial murderer going around, we thought it would be one of us." Bunta said, staring at the floor as he mulled over the current topic. "That's why we decided to leave the café, one by one, to see who among us he wants."

The red-haired Rikkai player popped another balloon from his gum before he continued. "Though as you already know, he's still eavesdropping on the café even after all three of us left." Bunta's eyes visibly hardened. "It'll be nice if that guy isn't actually dangerous and is just your usual random pervert who likes to spy on teenage girls—or something harmless like that. But somehow..." The Rikkai volleyist turned his head and narrowed his purple eyes at the man across the street. "I've got a really bad feeling about this."

"_Kuso._" Kirihara clenched his fist and also glared at the man. "Then what do we do now?"

"Simple," Masaharu Niou answered from the junior ace's left side.

The prankster's eyes glinted wickedly as he cracked his knuckles and smirked in an _oh-so-dangerous_ manner."We corner this bastard and make him talk."

"My thoughts exactly." Bunta smirked back while Kirihara's green eyes also began to darken in excitement.

"Alright," Niou said, still dangerously grinning as he turned to face his teammates. "Here's the plan..."

They would show this guy why _no one_ ever dares to mess with Rikkai.

* * *

Ryoma flipped the metal tab to open his Ponta. He was satisfied when he heard the fizzing sound that came after it.

Their Saturday training from hell was over. Most of his teammates had already gone home and he was left alone in the boy's changing room.

Or so he thought, since not even a minute after he opened his Ponta, he heard familiar voices and footsteps that were coming closer. Those were soon followed by the sound of a door opening.

"As I successfully predicted, there was an 89.5% chance that Tezuka wouldn't come to training again today," the voice, which belonged to none other than Inui Sadaharu, said to his companion.

Separated by a wall of lockers, neither the data man of Seigaku nor his companion seemed to have noticed the presence of the prince in the room as they continued their hushed conversation.

There was a minute pause before the other person finally decided to talk.

"_Saaa, _I wonder why. He seemed to be pretty busy lately," Fuji Syuusuke replied.

Another awkward silence followed the _tensai'_s words, during which Ryoma heard the sounds of lockers being opened and shut.

"Renji and I have been communicating. It seems our data from recent events have some common factors."

The sound of a bag zipper opening filled the room. "Sanada Genichirou seems to have been missing practices too."

One of Ryoma's eyebrows rose a bit after hearing that.

"That sounds unlike him. But then again, it is also unlike Tezuka to miss practice as well," Fuji said, seemingly deep in thought. "Did you check on Hyoutei?" he suddenly asked, almost as an afterthought.

"Not only on Hyoutei, but I conducted researches on other schools too. After organizing the data, I found that aside from the two mentioned earlier, Atobe Keigo of Hyoutei and Kuranosuke Shiraishi of Shitenhouji have also been missing practices as well," Inui reported in his usual scientific manner.

"Something's going on," the _tensai_ muttered.

Ryoma's eyes shifted, his attention fully captivated by the interesting facts he overheard.

"_Ne_," Fuji suddenly said and paused for a while. Ryoma almost thought that the _tensai_ had found him out and was actually addressing him. But Fuji soon continued, "Did you ever find out who was responsible for stealing three of your data notebooks a month ago?"

A soft but distinct metal clunk was heard as if someone had secured a lock on their locker.

When the notebooks had disappeared, Inui initially thought that it was either Eiji or Momo's doing. However, even after torturing the poor boys with pitcher after pitcher of Inui juice, they still firmly denied his accusations. And so, he finally believed them.

"No," Inui replied. "But before I went home last night, I found all three of them safely back in my locker, as if they had never been touched."

The tension in the room increased tenfold.

"After meticulously combing through each page to see if anything was torn out, I discovered something both puzzling and interesting." Inui paused for dramatic effect. "There was a small but distinct tea stain on one of the pages of the books, which I am 99.8% sure was never there before."

"Which page was it on?" Fuji asked, a hint of urgency on his tone.

Ryoma heard the shuffling sound of a tennis bag being lifted up and carried before the data man answered.

"It was on Ryuzaki Sakuno's information page."

And right after hearing Inui's last sentence, Ryoma felt like something had painfully squeezed his heart for a second.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Yay for another eventful chapter! But so many mysteries! I think this is the first chapter with no Sakuno in it. I felt bad since this is supposed to be a Sakuno-centric fic. But oh well, she'll appear on the next one!

How are you guys liking the story so far? Read and review, please!

**Japanese Vocabulary:**

_Itai_ – it hurts

_Baka_ –stupid; idiot

_Kuso_ – damn it


	11. Showdown Part 1

**XI. Showdown ~Part One~**

"Was it wise to let him overhear the details?" Inui asked after the two regulars had left the changing room and were definitely out of Ryoma's earshot. "You do know that now that we had mentioned _her _name, there is an 87% chance that he would get involved, 12% chance that he would hesitate, and 1% chance that he would take no action."

Fuji smiled that mysterious yet creepy smile that he was famous for. "Wouldn't that make it more interesting?"

The data man gave his companion a sideways glance as they were walking out of the school grounds. He wouldn't bring it up to him, but Inui noticed that the _tensai_ had also been acting unlike himself lately. Inui suspected that his teammate was doing some covert work that he was keeping as a secret from everyone. He tried to investigate and find out what it was but the _tensai_ was just that elusive.

Anyway, Inui decided to let it go for now. After all, they all have their own secrets to keep. It's just a matter of _when_ and _how_ they will be revealed. And when that time comes, he will have invaluable _ii data_ to collect.

The data man smirked to himself and finally gave an answer to the _tensai_.

"That is highly probable."

* * *

The sun was setting in the sky. In a fairly isolated alley flanked by abandoned buildings on either side, and barred by an impenetrable wall on one end, the shadows of two figures were projected on the street.

"Dead end," Kirihara Akaya mocked arrogantly as he stood in front of the stalker, trapping the man in between the high wall and himself. Niou soon joined him and stationed himself on Kirihara's left while Bunta arrived a few seconds later from Kirihara's right side.

As expected from any of Niou's ingenious schemes, their plan worked perfectly.

His idea was to wait for the man to finish his eavesdropping business. They wanted to avoid frightening the man prematurely and also didn't want to create a scene in front of the café.

After the stalker leaves, they were to follow him in a semi-sneaky manner. And once the man finally notices that he was being followed, they were to split up and keep blocking his paths until they corner him to this predetermined dead end road beside abandoned buildings.

At first, Kirihara was anxious about the plan, especially since they had waited at least three more hours before they saw the man make some sort of movement from his hiding spot. The stalker had put on dark sunglasses and a mask that covered half of his face. He had also reached for something in his coat pocket. Upon seeing the stalker's actions back then, the Rikkai regulars tensed as they had thought that the man was going to attack the café. They all breathed a sigh of relief when the man simply stepped away from his hiding spot and proceeded to walk away. The Rikkai players commenced their plan from there on. And as mentioned earlier, it worked smoothly.

The junior ace glared menacingly at the stalker who had his back facing them. "I'll definitely crush you, you bastard. How dare you stalk innocent girls," Kirihara gritted out, his eyes almost turning red.

Bunta placed a hand on Kirihara's shoulder in an effort to calm the boy. "Don't be such a hot head, Akaya."

Kirihara simply shoved his _senpai_'s hand away and quickly protested. "_Demo_, _senpai-_"

"It won't do us any good if we just beat the crap out of this punk right now," Niou cut off his _kouhai_'s usual whines. They had no time for that right now. "Besides, don't we have things to ask this crook?" The trickster inclined his head towards the man, who chose to remain immobile until then.

The Rikkai regulars tensed when the stalker suddenly let out a dark and ominous laugh as he turned to face them.

"Rikkai _ka_?" the man voiced out in a somewhat automated manner. It was obvious that he was using a voice-changer device to camouflage his voice. That gadget was most likely incorporated in the mask covering his mouth.

Alarmed by the fact that he knew who they were, the players were frozen in spot for a second. Even as the man faced them, the regulars were still unable to distinguish any features of his face. That was because the stalker's face was mostly covered by the mask, his eyes covered by the glasses, and his hair completely hidden by the huge hat he wore. They noticed, however, that he was around the same height as them. But then again, that doesn't help much. He might also be camouflaging his height.

"You're not next on my list _yet_. But if you're this persistent to die," the man reached inside his coat pocket and pulled out a gun, "that could be easily arranged."

In less than a second, two loud gun fires were heard from the isolated area.

* * *

Ryoma walked along an overpass that overlooked a pretty busy section of the city. Even though his house was located on the opposite side, he chose to take this path home.

It was purely out of whim.

_Yep. _

It certainly didn't have anything to do with the fact that taking this way would enable him to pass by the café where Sakuno happens to work at during Saturdays.

_Sure._

Of course, it had also been purely coincidental when he glanced below the overpass and looked through the café windows. It had nothing to do with the reason that he would have a perfect view of the shop if he looked from that position.

_Yeah, right._

Amazingly, the prince felt a huge burden taken off his chest once he spotted the klutzy maiden inside the café. She was cleaning one of the tables while seemingly talking to another staff, who he belatedly recognized as Tachibana An.

A small smirk unconsciously formed on the prince's lips as he continued to observe the girl.

'She's safe,' he silently thought in relief as he pulled his cap downwards to cover more of his face.

Without really knowing it, he realized now that the sick feeling that stayed in his guts after he overheard Inui and Fuji's conversation had been worry-worry for that klutzy girl.

That was why after he had recovered from the shock of hearing the information, he quickly grabbed his tennis bag and dashed toward the location of the café.

The prince realized now just how stupid his actions were.

And he was the one who told Sakuno that she's been paranoid lately. Heh, well if the way he had imagined those countless horrible things that could've already happened to the shy brunette just moments ago wasn't considered paranoid, then perhaps they need to change the meaning of the word in the dictionary.

Talk about a worrywart.

He let out a sigh.

Maybe he had been spending too much time with his Oishi-senpai lately.

Yep, that was it. He knew that spending too much time with the crazy Seigaku regulars would cost him his sanity someday. And this was the beginning of it.

The prince rested an arm against the ledge of the overpass as he turned away from the café.

There's no reason to worry, he thought. It might've been just coincidental.

Just because there was a tea stain on her information page doesn't mean that somebody's plotting to kill her, right?

Right.

Who knows, maybe it was one of his other _senpai_'s who had read her information page. Although that doesn't sit well with him as well, it seemed safer. For him, at least.

Then all of a sudden, Ryoma froze as he remembered something that he had seen back on the day he accompanied Sakuno to the hospital. Suddenly, he wasn't so sure anymore.

Looking back at the café, he was just in time to see Sakuno give An one of her usual bright smiles that always gives him that warm, funny feeling inside his chest. As he continued to watch the braided brunette, he remembered all the times the girl gave him that same smile—only a little more special. She had a special smile just for him.

'_Ryoma-kun.'_

'_Ki wo tsukete, Ryoma-kun.'_

'_A-ano, ganbatte. I'm sure you'll win this round as usual.'_

'_Ahhh, daijobu, Ryoma-kun?'_

'_Ryoma-kun surely likes Ponta, ne?'_

'_Ryoma-kun….'_

'_I- I like Ryoma-kun the most.'_

And that did it for him.

There was no more hesitation in his feline-like eyes.

* * *

"Get down, Akaya!"

That was the last thing Kirihara heard before he felt a painful burning feeling on his chest. It was quickly followed by a powerful impact that threw the junior ace from his standing position.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Another cliffie? xD

**Japanese Vocabulary**

_ii data _- good data

_Demo_ - but

_Senpai_ – upperclassman

_Rikkai ka?_ – Rikkai, isn't it? / Rikkai, huh?

_Ki wo tsukete_ – take care

_Ganbatte_ – good luck; best of luck

_Daijobu_ – are you okay?


	12. Showdown Part 2

**XII. Showdown ~Part Two~**

Niou cursed after the man fired at Kirihara. From his peripheral vision, he had seen Bunta lunge at the boy in an effort to save him from the shots. The trickster would have liked to check if his teammates were alright but he needed to act quickly before the man could fire again.

He grabbed one of his smoke bombs from his pocket, which he always brought for the sake of his pranks, and propelled it through the air. The bomb was activated and immediately began to release harmless fumes. Soon, a thick smoke screen enveloped the area and effectively hid the players from the stalker.

From his spot, Niou heard the man laugh darkly once again. He sounded like he was not far away from the trickster.

"So you want to play?" the man finally said, still in a robotic voice. "Very well, I shall grant your request. But keep in mind that this can only prolong your inevitable deaths." He fired randomly on a spot.

Niou was glad when he didn't feel anything after he heard the shot nor did he hear any grunts or painful uttering. That can only mean that the stalker had completely missed them all that time.

"Your pathetic actions are futile," the man continued and fired once more.

Yet again, there were still no signs that can indicate that he hit anyone.

The trickster of Rikkai Dai silently moved a few steps forward as he carefully thought of his next move. He knew that the smoke screen the bomb created would soon diffuse so time is of the essence.

He fumbled in his pants pocket and discovered that he still had one smoke bomb left. Now, the problem was how to use it wisely.

Crouching down, Niou faced the direction where he thought he heard the man's voice come from. He waited three seconds before he threw his last smoke bomb toward an opposite direction.

His trick worked as the man fired at the location the smoke bomb was thrown to. That allowed Niou to clearly see the sparks created by the gun firing.

'Got 'ya,' Niou thought smugly as he rushed toward the place and gave a swift quick at the direction of the sparks. His leg collided against a hard object. In a matter of seconds, sounds of metal hitting the ground and sliding across it were heard in the area.

Niou did not stop there, however, as he moved to grab the man and tried to restrain him. The man immediately struggled and threw a punch at the trickster.

Thanks to his reflexes honed from years and years of tennis training, Niou successfully evaded the attack even without the ability to see where it was coming from. But now it's his turn to strike.

The third-year Rikkai player fisted his hand and threw a hard blow at the man. To Niou's surprise, the man had also managed to evade his assault, even though smoke was screening his movement. Niou frowned, twisted his body and attacked from a different angle. Once again, the attacker had avoided his attack.

"_Kuso_," Niou hissed, using one hand to grab a firm hold of his opponent. He then used his other hand to throw another punch at the guy. That time, his assault was successful as he felt his fist collide against the man's jaw. The stalker's mask was displaced and taken off as a result of the attack.

The man seemed to panic upon realizing that his face would soon be revealed once the smoke clears up. Anxious to get away as soon as possible, he quickly knee'd Niou and tried to bolt away.

However, the trickster's hold onto his coat remained firm even after he was hurt from the man's recent assault. A ripping sound was soon heard as the man successfully got away from Niou's grip and escaped to another direction.

Niou faintly saw the back of a black coat amidst the disappearing smoke as the man ran away and disappeared from the alley.

* * *

Bunta finally uncovered Kirihara's mouth after what seemed like hours to the junior ace. The first thing Kirihara did was take a dramatic deep breath. He felt like he was suffocating when his _senpai_ was restraining him. He finally realized that he had been unconsciously clutching his chest for a while now ever since the man shot him.

Looking down, he was expecting to find blood staining his shirt. His brilliant green eyes widened considerably when he found no such thing.

That was odd, he thought. He could have sworn he felt an object sharply hit his chest.

He patted his chest again and again to make sure there was no bullet wound on his body. That was when he felt a rectangular, metallic object lying on his bosom. Pulling it out, he saw a fairly old tag pendant that had "K.A." engraved on its bottom right corner.

His lucky charm.

When he was a kid, his mother had given it to him, telling him that it is a charm that will always protect him. He never really liked the pendant because it was a very plain and thick rectangular metal, but his mother had been so adamant about making him wear it all the time. As he grew up, he never really gave any thought to it but he got so used to wearing the necklace that even if he didn't believe in the whole protecting charm thingamajig, he always had it with him.

Bunta bent down from his sitting position beside the junior ace and grabbed a bullet that was lying on the floor. Examining the bullet more closely, he saw that its front was squashed a little as if it had hit an impenetrable barrier.

The volley specialist glanced at the metallic pendant Kirihara was currently looking at and smirked. "Guess you've been lucky, brat."

Kirihara looked at the bullet in his _senpai_'s hand and back at the tag pendant. He finally noticed that the bottom half of the pendant also appears to be dented as if something had hit it. Then he finally understood what happened.

Even though the bullet had hit him perfectly in the chest, the tag pendant he was wearing was in the way and had prevented the bullet from piercing his body.

Well, what do you know? The charm had worked after all. He needed to thank his mom for that.

He was about to say something to his red-haired _senpai_ when his green eyes darkened in alarm once the junior ace noticed a red stain on Bunta's shoulder.

"Marui-_senpai_, you're bleeding!" Kirihara exclaimed, worry for his friend evident in his eyes.

Bunta, on the other hand, merely grinned and shrugged off his _kouhai'_s concern. "The bullet just grazed my arm, no biggie. I can still take you on."

That's right. Even though Kirihara's lucky pendant protected him from the first shot, it was actually Bunta who had saved him from the second bullet. The volley specialist managed to get him out of the way just in time, though the bullet had grazed the red-haired regular's shoulder.

By then, the smoke screen from Niou's bomb had completely cleared up and the two regulars saw the trickster's distinct standing form a few paces from them. As they were unable to find another person anywhere beside him, they deduced that the man had gotten way.

Kirihara and Bunta both stood up and headed toward Niou's location. Although he felt their presence, Niou didn't move from his spot.

"You guys okay?" the trickster inquired calmly as he spared them a glance. Somehow, he already knew that they were fine. He had that much faith in his teammates.

"Yeah. Though Akaya could use a lot more training. He almost got me killed because of his carelessness," Bunta said in an easy manner, as if a man wasn't crazily firing at them just moments before.

Kirihara, in turn, half-heartedly glared at his _senpai_. Although he was truly grateful for what Bunta did, he was too prideful to express his gratitude out loud.

"Like I asked you to save me, _senpai_. I would've been just fine without your help," Kirihara defended his pride.

"Yeah, right," Bunta replied before his face took on a completely serious look. "So that crook was the serial murderer after all," he said, finally moving on to the pressing subject.

"No doubt about it," Niou replied, tossing Bunta a leather notebook. The volley specialist caught the object easily.

"Apparently, I managed to rip his coat pocket when we were wrestling a while ago. He dropped that thing," the trickster explained though his face had a peculiar dark and gloomy look for some reason.

After examining the notebook for a few seconds, Bunta also tensed.

Kirihara, curious as to what could possibly be in the notebook that can make his _senpai_'s way more anxious than before, grabbed the notebook from the volley specialist and examined it himself.

What he saw on the first page of the notepad almost made his heart stop.

On the first half of the page was Daichi Kiriyama's name and his address. It had been crossed out as if the owner of the notebook was done doing his business with him.

However, as informative as that was, since it basically confirmed that the guy they just encountered was the serial murderer who had been attacking tennis players, that wasn't the part Kirihara was really concerned about. It was what was written on the last half of the page.

On the bottom half was Ryuzaki Sakuno's name and the café's address. It also had her work schedule at the café written below her name.

Kirihara clenched the notebook in an unbelievably tight grip that almost threatened to rip the leather. "That bastard…" he gritted out, his eyes fully bloodshot. "He's after Sa-chan, after all."

"That's not all," Bunta added in a somber tone. He hated to upset his _kouhai_ even more but it was crucial that he tell him everything. "Check what's on the inside back cover of the notebook."

Kirihara wasn't sure if he can take more bad news after what he just found out. He still, however, followed his senpai's order and checked the back of the notebook.

The junior ace paused and frowned upon seeing an unusual object. It was a pin that was attached to the leather of the notebook.

Looking closer, he somehow recognized the pin. It was an honorary emblem that was given to each tennis player when they played way back in the Nationals three years ago. Only tennis players who were participants of the tournament were given that specific pin.

And then it hit him like a thousand-volt electric shock.

He looked up at his _senpai_'s hoping to see a look on their faces that can tell him that his assumption was wrong and that he was stupid for even considering that possibility.

Niou dashed his hopes when he finally voiced out what all three of them still have a hard time believing.

"That bastard is one of us."

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Woot. Honestly, this was the hardest chapter for me to write. I hate action scenes and I completely suck at them so hopefully, it didn't turn out too bad.

**Japanese Vocabulary**

_Kuso_ – damn it


	13. Contrasts

**XIII. Contrasts**

Tokyo Train Station was mostly abandoned by the time the three Rikkai players arrived at its gates. After deliberating, they had decided that it would be best to go back to Kanagawa tonight and think about their next steps tomorrow. After all, they were all exhausted from their adventures today. In addition to that, they thought that it would be wise to consult the rest of their teammates. Eight heads are better than three.

"Akaya," Bunta called out when he noticed that his _kouhai_ had stopped walking. "_Doushita_?"

The junior ace was staring at the ground with his brows furrowed as if in deep thought. He seemed to have not noticed that his _senpai_ was addressing him.

"_Oi_-" Bunta was about to inquire again when Niou walked over to the second year boy and lightly bonked his head. Kirihara, surprised upon the sudden contact, jumped back and covered his head to shield it from any other attacks. He glared at Niou while the third year stared back at him nonchalantly.

"_Puri_."

"Would you stop that, Niou-_senpai?_ I'm not a kid anymore!"

"That's debatable," Bunta said before blowing a balloon from his gum. This elicited a growl from Kirihara.

"_Ano sa-_"

"We should hurry to the platform if we want to get back before your curfew. We all know how rabid your mom and older sister can get," Niou cut off his _kouhai_.

"I don't have a curfew!" Kirihara loudly exclaimed before shaking his head. "Anyway, _senpai-tachi_ can go back first. I forgot to buy the wristband I wanted to buy from that one store," he said, already jogging away. "I'll see you guys at the meeting place tomorrow!"

Bunta and Niou watched their _kouhai_ disappear into the streets of Tokyo. They didn't even attempt to stop him.

Both third years looked at each other after a while.

"Wristband, my butt," Bunta muttered while Niou simply smirked back.

* * *

"Somebody's knight in shining armor is here," the old lady, who happens to be the proprietor of the cafe, informed her best employees before she went back into the kitchen. Not even three seconds after the lady said those words, a chime was heard in the shop followed by a loud, booming voice.

"What's the hold up, woman? I was freezing to death out there. Oh hello there, Ryuzaki." Momoshiro Takeshi smiled and gave a nod at the braided brunette upon noticing that she was standing right next to An.

"Momo-_senpai_?" Sakuno stared at the spiky-haired boy in surprise.

"He insisted on walking me home tonight since _onii-chan_ has a meeting to attend," An explained as she walked over to the counter. The older Tachibana sibling usually walks An and Sakuno home during their Saturday shifts. But as An mentioned, the captain of Fudomine is busy today. "I told him I should be fine, but sheesh, he was stubborn."

"Look who's talking," Momo muttered from his place.

Upon hearing his mumble, An flashed him a super sweet smile that sent shivers down his spine.

"Did you say something, Momoshiro-kun?"

"N-nothing. I said we should probably head out soon since it's already dark out there."

Poor Momo. He visibly paled when he sensed warning signs coming from his "not-girlfriend."

"Well, Sakuno and I just have to clean up the area then we can go. We had more customers tonight than usual so we have to do a bit of overtime."

Sakuno saw disappointment on her Momo-_senpai_'s face. The boy was probably looking forward to spending some quality time with An today, and then this happens.

"An-chan, I can take care of the cleaning up. You and Momo-_senpai_ can go ahead," Sakuno generously offered with a smile. She had always rooted for An and her Momo-_senpai_ to get together. She honestly believes that those two are meant for each other. They are just too stubborn to admit their feelings.

An shook her head and refused the braided brunette's offer. "_Dame__, dame_. I can't just leave you here. Besides, who's gonna walk you home? Momoshiro-kun can wait. Don't mind him."

"Hahah. Don't worry about it, Ryuzaki. I was just half-whining anyway," Momo added, a little abashed by his unnecessary complaints.

However, Sakuno was also persistent.

"You always stayed later and covered up for me when I had tennis meetings to attend, An-chan. It's my turn now. Besides, I can always call _baa-chan_ to pick me up. There is really no need to worry." The shy first year nodded in emphasis of her words.

An shook her head again.

"_Dame__._"

"_Demo,_ An-chan…"

"_Dame__!_"

"_Mou._"

Momo helplessly watched the girls argue back and forth. Honestly, he wanted to spend some alone time with An too, but he also cannot just selfishly leave Ryuzaki here. That's when a brilliant idea occurred to him.

"Ah! Why don't I call Echizen to pick you up? I'm sure he'll be more than happy to do that for you, Miss Manager," he said and mischievously winked at Sakuno.

Now it's Sakuno's turn to shake her head and wave her hands frantically.

"_Dame__,_ Momo-_senpai_! Ano… I'm pretty sure Ryoma-kun is as busy as he is. And lately, I've been bothering him more than usual so…"

"I don't trust that good-for-nothing boy to walk Sakuno home," An said with a finality in her voice and crossed her arms. Oh, she has seen how that arrogant first year from Seigaku treats Sakuno. At first, she wanted to believe that the prince was just shy and hadn't come to terms with his feelings yet. But after she saw Sakuno come to work one day with red eyes and a fake smile which shattered her heart, she's been wanting to kill that arrogant boy. She may not know the details but she was pretty sure it had something to do with the prince. Only _he_ can make Sakuno cry that much.

Momo quickly defended his _kouhai_.

"Come on, he's not that bad. Sure he's a little romantically-challenged, but still, he's pretty reliable when it comes down to it."

The younger Tachibana sibling turned her head away and uttered a disbelieving "sure" while Momo ranted more about his _kouhai_'s other good qualities.

"Actually…" An cut him off, staring at something beyond the café's glass doors. "I changed my mind. I'll accept that offer, after all, Sakuno. Come on, Momoshiro-kun." She suddenly had a mischievous smile and quickly packed her things.

Both Sakuno and Momo simply stared at her in confusion. Sakuno managed to utter an unsure "_hai_" as An grabbed Momo's hand (who blushed upon the contact) and dragged him out the café doors.

Sakuno blinked twice, staring at the spot her friends were just at, before she decided to finish cleaning up the table she was working on.

'Oh well, I hope they have a good time,' she thought with a smile as she moved to clean another table in the shop.

* * *

"I'll be taking my leave now, Hikaru-san," Sakuno called out to the proprietor, who was still inside the kitchen. The old lady immediately came out to see the brunette and gave her a grateful smile.

"All right. Thank you so much for all your help today, Sakuno-chan. _Ara_, An-chan and the other boy already left? Are you walking home alone today then?"

Sakuno stiffened upon the question. "_Ano_, I think I shall see if _baa-chan_ can pick me up?" Sakuno remembered that her _baa-chan_ is away on business tonight. But she did not want to worry the older lady, so she uttered a half lie.

"_Sayonara_. I'll see you next week!" Sakuno quickly uttered and made her way towards the doors before Hikaru-_san_ can inquire more.

* * *

Sakuno sighed when she was safely outside the café. She felt bad about half-lying but what can she do? She didn't want to be a bother on Hikaru-san too. She was about to start walking home when she noticed a person wearing a distinct yellow and black jersey standing a few feet from her.

"Yo."

Kirihara smirked once Sakuno's eyes finally met his. He had seen her come out with a troubled look on her face. 'Might be worrying about something small again,' he thought amusedly. His _senpai-tachi_ had reasoned out that the murderer would not strike again today, especially since they surprised the heck out of him and even found clues to his real identity. It's more likely that the crook would go back to his base for now and rethink his plans. Hence, they decided that they can leave without checking on the girls at the café.

But still… he was worried, _damn it_.

That's why after making that "brilliant" excuse (he thought it was brilliant), he quickly came back to the café with the intention of walking Sakuno home tonight. He didn't know if she already made plans to walk home with someone else, but it wouldn't hurt to make sure, right? And it was a good thing he came back. It seemed like Sakuno was left all alone today since he saw the amazon girl leave with another Seigaku regular minutes ago. Momo was about to interrogate him when the spiky-haired boy spotted the Rikkai player, but An had quickly dragged Momo away.

Before the two left, however, An shot Kirihara a "don't mess up" look, which amused Kirihara to no end. It seems like the amazon girl didn't hate him that bad, after all.

The junior ace finally came up to the shy brunette with a smirk still on his face. "Done for the day?"

Sakuno's wide eyes continued to stare at him in shock. "A-Akaya-kun? Didn't you leave hours ago already? _Mou_, what are you still doing here? It's already late and it's dangerous and—"

Kirihara lightly flicked her forehead to stop her from rambling. "Calm down. As you can see, I'm still alive and kicking. Nothing's going to happen. So no need to worry too much, alright?"

Sakuno frowned but gave him an unsure nod.

"Niou-_senpai_ had gotten into some kind of trouble so we ended up staying in Tokyo for a while. Nothing big, just his usual prank-related disasters," Kirihara easily lied in order to not worry the cute brunette. "And since it was about time for your shift to end, I thought I could walk you home before I go. I needed to ask you something, after all," he said the last sentence quite nervously as he ruffled his messy hair.

"_Demo_, is it okay? I don't know if you're able to catch a train to Kanagawa at this time and even if you do, you're going to be home really late."

Kirihara let out a hearty chuckle.

"Really, Sa-chan. I'm a man, if you haven't noticed. I can take care of myself. Besides, I'm more worried about you," Kirihara said with an uncharacteristic hint of seriousness in his voice.

"Anyway, let's get you home before it gets too late," he soon uttered to avoid the topic.

Sakuno smiled up at him and nodded. They started to walk for a few seconds when she felt a light touch on her shoulders. She glanced down and saw Kirihara's jacket on her.

"It's chilly. And you're kinda wearing a really thin sweater," Kirihara explained with a blush on his face. He walked slowly, making sure Sakuno is keeping up with him.

The brunette's face turned crimson as she uttered a soft "_Arigatou."_ It's stuff like this that makes her like the second year boy so much. He's just too caring towards her. She doesn't mean to compare, but it's a nice break from Ryoma's cold treatment.

Sakuno turned her head sideways and gave Kirihara a heartfelt, grateful smile. The junior ace, noticing she was looking at him with that cute expression, blushed shamelessly in front of her. He returned her smile after a few seconds.

"Besides," Kirihara said, finally looking away from her. "You look _waaay_ better in yellow and black than in blue and white."

"_Mou_, Akaya-kun!"

Kirihara laughed boyishly and Sakuno couldn't help but join him after a while. His lively mood was just that contagious. The two teenagers walked in a careless and happy manner down the street. For now, they were willing to forget the dangers lurking around them.

Of course, they were also oblivious to a pair of yellow eyes watching them intensely.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

KiriSaku, yay? Slight MomoAn too :3

**Japanese Vocab:**

_Doushita_ – What's wrong?

_Oi _– a boyish way of saying "hey"

_Puri_ – Niou's cute catchphrase

_Ano sa_ – for your information (in the way I used it anyway)

_Senpai_ – upperclassman

_Kouhai_ – underclassman

_onii-chan_ - big brother

_Dame – _no; cannot do

_Demo_ – but

_Mou_ – an expression of frustration

_Ara_ – expression of surprise

_Sayonara_ - goodbye


	14. And Similarities

**XIV. And Similarities**

"And then _fukubuchou_ suddenly whipped out a _katana_ from that ancient house of his and started to chase me with it! It was unfair! Niou-_senpai_ was the one who put the pink lacey thong in his tennis bag!"

Sakuno giggled at Kirihara's story. She loves his stories. They were always so amusing and funny. Not to mention, she's also learning more and more about the Rikkai regulars. It was odd to think that the always serious and very powerful tennis players can act goofy at all.

They had been walking for about twenty minutes now and were half-way to Sakuno's house. Sakuno was about to say something in response to Kirihara's tale when an advertisement posted on one of the lamp posts caught her attention. She paused from walking to stare at it for a while. Kirihara noticed, and also stopped to follow her line of vision.

The poster was advertising the new amusement park that opened in Tokyo. It didn't look that big but the rides appeared to be fun and interesting.

Kirihara glanced at Sakuno's mesmerized face and smirked fondly.

"Ah, that reminds me, Sa-chan…" he started. Sakuno turned her head to him and tilted it a bit to the side.

"What is it, Akaya-kun?" she inquired curiously.

Kirihara scratched an invisible itch on his cheeks and looked at the ground. "My question… I was, um. Man, why is this so hard?" he grumbled irritably, ruffling his hair, and then finally looked at her with his cheeks flaming. "I was wondering if… you'd like to go out with me?"

Sakuno's face turned red like a tomato.

"_Eh_?" she asked unsurely.

"I mean! Go out like go to actual places. You know, like somewhere. You see, practice was cancelled next, next Sunday and I was just wondering if you want to go somewhere with me," Kirihara explained hastily, still blushing.

Sakuno seemed to calm down a bit as her cheeks turned a light, pinkish hue. "Oh…" she muttered. It was now her turn to look down at the floor. "_Ano_…"

Upon noticing her hesitation, Kirihara's green eyes began to fill with worry. "But it's okay if you don't want to! It wouldn't affect me. Well, it would make me a little sad but not sad, sad that you have to worry. I guess I can just move beans like _fukubuchou—_"

The brunette had to grab Kirihara's shirt to get his attention and stop him from rambling. "Akaya-kun. Actually, I think I would love to go."

When Akaya heard her words, he froze for a second then his face started to light up.

"Really? No kidding, Sa-chan?" he asked, genuine excitement and happiness evident on his voice.

Sakuno nodded and smiled up at him. "It would be nice to go somewhere with Akaya-kun."

"Sweet!" Akaya exclaimed loudly, grabbing the brunette and embracing her in a tight hug. "Thank you! I promise it will be fun!" he uttered, nuzzling his face into her cherry-scented hair.

Sakuno's face turned red again but she somehow felt at ease in Kirihara's arms. It's so comforting and lulling… so different from when she hugged Ryoma that one time. She smiled as her face was pressed into his hard chest, enabling her to listen to his fast heartbeat. She was about to return the hug when a voice suddenly interrupted their moment.

"_Piyo_."

The two teenagers quickly moved away from each other guiltily. They glanced around to see where the voice came from.

Kirihara's eyes widened once he finally spotted the intruder. "N-Niou-_senpai_? What the heck are you doing here?" he asked, quite annoyed.

"Marui sent me to check on you since it's taking you a while to buy that _wristband_ of yours," Niou said with a teasing smirk at his _kouhai_.

Kirihara blushed and shot him a glare. "Didn't I tell you guys to go on ahead?"

"Nah, we knew you'd be out harassing girls once we leave you alone."

"I never harassed anyone!"

"Then what were you doing to _jou-chan_ over there?" Niou countered.

"I was…" Kirihara instinctively shielded Sakuno from Niou but the third year walked even closer to them and gave Sakuno a curt smile.

"Hey _jou-chan_, did this brat do anything wrong to you? Just tell me and I'll punish him properly."

"I told you I didn't do anything!" the junior ace protested.

Sakuno weakly smiled back at Niou and softly shook her head. "_Iie_. Actually, it was nice of Akaya-kun to offer to walk me home."

"See?" Kirihara said, pushing Niou away from him and Sakuno. "Now you can go back, Niou-_senpai_. I'll follow soon!"

The trickster refused to move from his spot, however. "Actually, I feel like walking around Tokyo streets for a while too. Why don't you guys lead the way?" Niou smirked as he heard his _kouhai_ growl menacingly.

* * *

"_Arigatou_ for walking me home tonight, Akaya-kun." Sakuno smiled and bowed before him once they were in front of Sakuno's residence.

Kirihara was about to say something when the door of the house opened, revealing the intimidating coach of Seigaku. Sumire looked at Kirihara in a threatening manner.

The poor junior ace swallowed hard upon seeing the coach and glanced to his side to ask for his Niou-_senpai_'s help.

He was surprised to find no one there.

'What the heck?' he thought, then growled under his breath, finally deducing that Niou had already ran away from the danger. He must admit, his Niou-_senpai_ does have magical ways to avoid danger. The second year boy would not have minded so much _if only he warned him too_.

"_Baa-chan_? I thought you're away on business for the rest of the night?" Sakuno asked beside Kirihara, completely oblivious to her companion's dilemma.

"I got done early," Sumire curtly answered her granddaughter, still giving Kirihara a scary look.

"_Ano.._. Akaya-kun walked me home tonight." Sakuno decided to inform her grandmother before she swallows him whole.

"H-hey, _baa-chan_!" Kirihara uttered with a forced smile. "How's it going?"

Sumire's glare only intensified.

"Don't call me _baa-chan_," she told the poor boy, who had goosebumps upon hearing the malice in her voice.

"R-right. Coach Ryuzaki then," he hastily corrected, hoping to appease the old woman. Fortunately, it somewhat worked as the old coach gave him a nod.

"Thanks for walking Sakuno home. Now _scram_!" Sumire said in a dismissive voice.

Kirihara flinched but remained rooted on the ground. After all, he still had something left to do. Summoning all his courage, he swallowed one last time before uttering words that may or may not cause his instant death.

"Ah, can I have a moment alone with Sa-chan? I just have to tell her something. A minute is good enough!" he appealed. Sumire didn't reply and just continued to glare at him for at least an agonizing minute or so.

And then, she finally turned her back on them, glancing over her shoulders to glare one last time at Kirihara. "Don't forget that I'll be watching from behind the curtains," the coach said threateningly. "You have a minute." She shut the door afterwards.

Kirihara smiled in victory and hurriedly turned to Sakuno. He pulled out a necklace from his shirt then put it on the brunette.

"Akaya-kun?" Sakuno asked, confused. "What is this?" she asked as she fingered a rectangular tag pendant that was attached to the necklace. It had a dent at the bottom half and the initials "K.A." engraved on the right bottom corner.

Kirihara simply grinned at her. "Just hold onto it for me for a while, 'kay? You have to keep it with you all the time or it's not gonna work."

"What's not gonna work?" The brunette frowned, more confused than ever.

"Heh, never mind. Just promise me that, Sa-chan!" he said already starting to walk away since his minute was almost over. "I'll text you tomorrow. Good night!" Kirihara waved before running away.

* * *

When Sakuno finally entered their house, she heard Sumire call out from the couch.

"What's with you and weird tennis players?"

The brunette simply smiled and shook her head, before heading off to her room. Today had been an interesting day as well.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Short chapter but it's technically just a continuation of the previous one xD. Well, there is not much plot development since it's mostly KiriSaku fluff but we'll move forward again next chapter!

Read and review please :3

**Japanese Vocab:**

_Fukubuchou_ – vice captain

_Piyo_ - Niou's other cute catchphrase

_Jou-chan_ - little missy


	15. Injured

**XV. Injured**

"_Tarundoru!_" Sanada Genichirou scolded his fellow teammates as he stood in front of them in the Rikkai Dai Tennis Team meeting room. Niou, Bunta, and Akaya had just finished relating their adventures from the previous day to the rest of their team. Well, the rest of the team aside from Jackal and Yukimura, that is. Jackal had important business to attend to while Yukimura had to visit the hospital again.

"What do you guys think you were doing? Marui was injured because of your guys' carelessness. You are tennis players and not detectives!" he continued reprimanding.

"_Demo_, _fukubuchou_! This affects us too and we can't just-" Kirihara stood up from his seat and tried to argue.

"Keep quiet, Akaya!"

"Can't you just-"

"Keep quiet now or I'll punish you." Sanada glared at the youngest member of their team.

Yagyuu Hiroshi, who was sitting beside Kirihara, placed a hand on his _kouhai_'s shoulder to encourage him to follow Sanada's orders for now. Kirihara frowned, but resumed seating.

"Do not get involved in this dangerous business again. Leave it to the police and just concentrate on your training." Sanada glared at the three Rikkai players, still fuming.

They all thought it was weird for their _fukubuchou_ to get so upset over this matter. Sure, he was just most likely worried about his teammates' safety, but he could have at least dealt with it in a more rational way.

But no, Sanada was clearly upset over this business and even Yanagi and Yagyuu thought it was a little unfair for Sanada to act that way. Their teammates were just trying to help people and there was nothing wrong with what they did. In fact, they would have probably done the same thing if they were in their teammates' position.

"What happened to your face?" Niou suddenly asked, looking at Sanada. The trickster had noticed the band-aid on their _fukubuchou_'s right jaw from the moment he entered the room. He was just waiting to ask the question.

The rest of the team looked at Sanada. The _fukubuchou_ somewhat stiffened and straightened his standing posture. He brushed his thumb over the band-aid and dismissed Niou's question. "It was nothing. I just got injured while practicing."

Niou and Bunta shared a look. There was a tense silence that followed.

"In any case, if this is all you called us here for today, then I guess this meeting is dismissed. Do not forget, you're forbidden to do any of this crazy detective work again," Sanada finished, and then headed towards the door.

Kirihara quickly stood up from his seat, ready to protest again. This time, it was Bunta who restrained him. He placed a hand over Kirihara's mouth as the junior ace started mumbling incoherent sounds. They all watched Sanada leave the room.

After a minute, Bunta finally released his _kouhai_.

"Marui-_senpai_, why didn't you tell him about the notebook we found? If you tell him, then maybe _fukubuchou_ would understand!"

"What notebook?" Yagyuu asked from Kirihara's left.

Niou pulled out a leather notebook from his jacket and slid it across the table for all his teammates to see.

"Actually," Bunta started. "There was something else that we _forgot_ to tell."

* * *

"_Naru hodo,_" Yanagi said after listening to his teammates' last bit of information. Another tense silence followed in the room.

"Well, what are we going to do now?" Kirihara said, getting impatient. "We can't just sit still and watch that murderer kill more innocent people, especially after knowing that he's one of us!" He clenched his fist at the thought of that bastard getting his hands on Sakuno.

The third years exchanged a silent look with each other. It seemed like no words were necessary for them.

After a while, Niou stood up. "Well, he forbade us to do anything so we can't do anything." The trickster headed towards the door nonchalantly. He was soon followed by Yagyuu. Bunta spared Kirihara a glance before he also got up from his seat.

"What? _Demo_, _senpai-tachi!_" Kirihara looked at them, incredulous, as each of them went out of the meeting room. When the three left, Kirihara banged the table in frustration. Yanagi, who was left in the room with the second year, observed the junior ace closely.

There was silence.

"There is a 98.9% probability that you would disobey Genichirou."

Kirihara looked at Yanagi, a stubborn resolution shining from his eyes. "_Gomen_, Yanagi-_senpai_." He glanced down at his fisted hand. "But this involves someone who is important to me. So… I don't care!" Kirihara narrowed his eyes. "_Fukubuchou_ can punish me all he wants afterwards."

Yanagi continued to observe his _kouhai_.

"I guess it can't be helped."

The junior ace looked at Yanagi in apprehension. "_Senpai_, even if you try to stop me, I'll still-"

"Who said something about stopping you?" Yanagi asked. "I merely want to offer some guidance." Kirihara's green eyes widened at his _senpai_'s proposition.

"Of course, only if you swear not to tell Genichirou of my involvement," the third year finished.

Kirihara gradually grinned at the Rikkai data man. He then leaned over the table, intending to listen closely to his _senpai_.

"Deal!"

* * *

"I wonder if he'll be okay," Bunta uttered loudly as he chewed a strawberry-flavored gum. The three third years were walking away from the Rikkai Dai school grounds.

"He should be," Yagyuu said beside him.

"He better be," Niou added from the other side of Bunta. The trickster smirked. "That brat needs to grow up, after all."

* * *

Meanwhile, in another part of Japan…

"Sakuno!" Sumire called out. "Sakuno, your cellphone is ringing!"

The brunette wiped icing from her face as she tried to answer her grandmother. She was simultaneously making lunch and baking a cake for dinner in their kitchen.

"_Hai_. I'm coming soon, _obaa-chan_!" She ran over to the sink and washed her hands. After drying them using her apron, she ran to the living room just in time to hear the last rings. "_Moshi moshi_. Sakuno _desu,_" she hurriedly answered without checking the caller ID.

"_Nyaaa!_ Sakuno-chan! _Taihen da_! _Ochibi_ has been injured!"

Sakuno almost dropped her cellphone.

* * *

A green-haired boy was currently glaring at someone standing in front of him. The other person was laughing heartily at the younger boy's demise.

"Hahahahahahah. This is epic, Echizen." Momo condescendingly patted his _kouhai_'s head. "Don't tell me you finally broke from playing tennis too much? I can't believe you twisted your ankle like that. It looks like a bloated whale!"

"Momo-_senpai_, if you just came here to make fun of me, you can leave," the first year dryly commented from his chair.

"_Oi_! Here I am, all concerned about you, and this is what I get? How did you twist your ankle anyway? It was fine yesterday during practice," the spiky-haired boy asked as he took a seat in front of his _kouhai_. They were in Ryoma's house. As soon as Momo heard that Ryoma refused to play tennis with him today because his ankle got twisted, he came over to check on the boy.

'_Like heck I'd tell you,_' Ryoma silently thought, grimacing upon remembering what happened yesterday.

_Maybe it was his stupidity's fault, but he waited until late last night just to make sure that somebody can walk that troublesome, klutzy girl safely back to her house. He didn't know any of her arrangements nor her schedule but he did hear from one of his senpai-tachi that Ryuzaki needed an escort every Saturday night since she gets off from work really late. Back then, it was just a stupid hint from one of the matchmakers of the team—a desperate effort to push him closer to the braided girl. And so he ignored it, but unconsciously stored the information somewhere in his brain._

_He wasn't concerned. He was just trying to perform what a responsible classmate would do in times like this. Maybe waiting out there in the cold night was going a bit too far, but the prince of tennis likes to go far and to excel. _

_Much later than he anticipated, the klutzy girl finally came out of the shop after four boring hours. He was about to step out from his spot when he noticed that she went to another person—a boy who was much closer to the shop than him and who was blocking the prince from the brunette's view. Curiously, the prince narrowed his eyes at the stranger, and then finally noticed that he seemed familiar._

_Yellow and black jersey._

_A Rikkai player. _

_Seaweed hair._

_Isn't that Kirihara Akaya? The "devil" who once injured his knee on a match?_

'_What the heck is she doing talking to him?' Ryoma thought, somewhat annoyed. He was about to walk over and snatch her from the idiot when he saw them starting to walk away. The green-haired lad began to follow the two until something completely broke his resolve. He heard Sakuno laugh._

_Not just her regular laugh, but a really melodious and joyful laugh._

_Ryoma stiffened as he continued to stare at the two teenagers in front of him. He didn't know why, but somehow, he felt a sick and twisted feeling in his guts as he observed the two. _

'_She actually looks really happy…' Ryoma couldn't help but notice._

_Has she ever looked that happy when she was with him? The prince thought back to the times they were together. Most he can remember is seeing a hurt and sad expression in her eyes. She never really expressed it physically—she always gave him a smile, but he can tell. And it was his entire fault. _

_Because he was socially-inept. _

_Because he was inconsiderate. _

_Because he was oblivious to anything besides tennis._

_And because he was an "idiot," as his senpai-tachi had said._

_So absorbed was the prince with his gloomy observations that he failed to see a construction sign on his path that said "watch out" and "danger." _

_And so, he royally tripped on the signs of the ditch, twisting his ankle in the process. Though he managed not to fall in the excavation, it was still an epic fail. _

_That is why there is no way in heck he's going to tell his Momo-senpai the details._

"Well?" Momo asked again. "Are you going to tell me or not?"

"Why don't we talk about your date with that girl from Fudomine?" Ryoma countered, completely annoyed by now.

Momo opened and closed his mouth like a fish. "Wha- How- What the heck does that have to do with this?" he exclaimed, embarrassed. "Besides, how the heck did you know about that? And it wasn't a date, I was just walking her home!"

The second year's interrogation/denial was cut off by running footsteps and the slamming of sliding doors.

"_Ochibiiiiiii! _Your wife is here! She can take care of your boo boo from now on!" a voice loudly proclaimed as a figure dashed into the Echizens' kitchen. Kikumaru Eiji beamed proudly at the two as another person appeared ten seconds after him.

The fragile figure of Ryuzaki Sakuno bent down and panted from exhaustion. It seemed like she ran a marathon just to get there as fast as she can. After she recovered her breath half-way, she looked up—apprehension in her eyes—and saw that Ryoma was very much alive and kicking (though not literally).

Ryoma stared at her.

Sakuno blinked cutely.

"_E-eh_?" she couldn't help but utter. When Eiji called her on the phone, all frantic-like, of course, she assumed the worst again and thought that Ryoma had been stabbed, or been gunned, or been bombed, or something horrible like that. That is why she ran over to his house as fast as she can after Eiji told her that his _ochibi_ needed her now more than ever. She should have known it was another one of their match-making plans.

Eiji and Momo exchanged conspiratorial grins and a "mission-accomplished" thumbs up.

"Well, we leave Echizen to your capable hands now, Ryuzaki. Take good care of him." Momo winked at her and started to head out of the kitchen, and then out of the house. Eiji followed him immediately and uttered a "Good luck, Good luck, _nyaaa_!" to the two before completely disappearing.

There was an awkward silence during which the two just stared at each other.

Ryoma broke their eye-contact first and said in a very cold voice: "What are you doing here?"

Sakuno stiffened from the unexpected hostility. She was used to Ryoma's apathetic manner, but that tone… that was a little bit too much.

"Um…_g-gomen_. I thought that…Well, Kikumaru-_senpai_ told me you were hurt and-"

"I'm fine. Go home," Ryoma said, dismissing her worries. He reached for his crutch, which was lying right next to him, and tried to get up. Sakuno moved to help him but Ryoma shot her a frightening glare that froze her on her spot.

The prince, with some difficulty, managed to get up and started to walk/hobble pass her. He paused on his way out of the kitchen and said to her in the same cold voice:

"You have icing on your face."

After those words, Sakuno heard more slamming of sliding doors as the prince apparently left her alone in his house.

* * *

"Keigo-sama," a female voice said over an intercom. "I am deeply sorry to disturb you but there are people here who wish to see you."

Atobe Keigo paused from reading some articles scattered all around his mahogany table, and asked the secretary to let them in. As soon as the King of Hyoutei consented, the doors to his study opened and in came two men wearing dark coats and sunglasses.

"Well?" Atobe asked them, fully expectant.

The men bowed in front of him.

"We are sorry, Keigo-sama, but we still cannot find the information you want us to find. We faced unforeseen trouble that ruined the whole investigation. We are now back to square one."

Upon hearing their words, Atobe's eyes hardened and he almost crumpled one of the articles he was reading. Bred to be always graceful, he managed to dispel his anger through a loud sigh.

"What unforeseen trouble is this?" Atobe asked in an authoritative manner.

"Somehow, the building you had your eyes on was blown-up at around 3 am this morning. Everything was burned to ashes though we found one interesting clue as to what could have possibly caused the disaster," one of the men informed their boss while his partner opened a briefcase and pulled out a photograph of a person. He handed the photo to Atobe. "This was taken by our surveillance camera about ten minutes before the building exploded."

Atobe stared at the photo curiously, his eyes darkening by every second. The hired men almost quivered at the menacing expression the Hyoutei captain was displaying.

There was tension in the room for at least a minute or so before Atobe finally spoke, his mannerisms back to normal.

"You may go. Your services are no longer needed. _Ore-sama_ shall take care of this himself," he said in a dismissive manner. The two men bowed again and quickly scrambled away from the intimidating Hyoutei captain.

When the doors were shut and he was left all alone again, Atobe turned to glare at a particular piece of paper that was on his desk. It was a newspaper page dedicated to the players of Nationals three years ago. He laid the new photograph given to him by his men right beside the newspaper page.

* * *

Munehiro Kabaji, who had heard every detail from the room right next to Atobe's study, frowned as he mulled over his close friend's situation.

The large second year stared at the floor, undecided about what to do. Should he choose friendship and loyalty over what he thinks is right?

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Aww. Ryoma and Sakuno are back to square one again : (

But Atobe's back after a gabajillion chapters? XD I find that hilarious. But yes, it's somewhat coming together. Clues are piling up and most of the key players are already on the stage. Until next time, please review!

**Japanese Vocab:**

_Tarundoru_ – (Sanada's catchphrase) You're too relaxed!

_Naru hodo_ - I see

_Taihen da_ - There's a tough situation


	16. Links

**XVI. Links**

Standing in front of an apartment, Echizen Ryoma raised a hand, intending to push the doorbell of the residence. The door creepily opened even before his finger could make contact with the button.

He saw Inui's ghastly face peek from behind the door.

"My calculation was 23 minutes and 39 seconds off. I was expecting you to come earlier," Inui recited in his usual scientific tone before he noticed the bandages around Ryoma's left ankle. "Ah, so that was the unforeseen event that affected my computations. I should have factored in the probability of accidents. Must make note of that." He pulled out his trusty notebook and began scribbling on a page furiously.

One of Ryoma's eyebrows almost twitched. He was used to Inui's hobby of data collecting, but right now, all he wanted was to sit on a comfortable chair. The trip to his Inui-_senpai_'s apartment was not an easy feat. After he left the klutzy girl behind in his house, he had to hobble for at least 20 minutes before he reached his destination. That was, the prince thought, way more troublesome than playing tennis for three hours straight.

"Inui-_senpai_, I don't mean to be rude but may I come in?" the tennis prodigy asked.

Inui paused from his writing and opened the door wide enough for his _kouhai_ to pass through. He directed the boy to his living room. Ryoma immediately settled on the sofa, resting his crutch beside him. The data man excused himself for a second and went to the kitchen. When he came back, he was carrying a cup that contained a steamy green liquid.

"Tea?" Inui politely offered.

Ryoma paled, not even willing to risk the chance of accidentally drinking any of his _senpai_'s "special" beverages.

"No, thanks," the green-haired lad quickly refused.

Inui nodded and placed the cup on the coffee table situated in front of Ryoma. A moment of silence temporarily filled the room.

"The reason for your visit is to inquire about the information you overheard in the locker room," Inui finally said, adjusting his glasses. "This assumption has a 99.9% of probability."

Ryoma sent him a suspicious look before he answered.

"You and Fuji-_senpai_ intentionally let me overhear it, didn't you?"

Inui's glases flashed. "If only you knew the severity of the situation, then you'll understand that that is the least of your concerns right now."

Ryoma's eyes hardened for a second.

"You specifically came here to know more about the tea stain I found on Ryuzaki Sakuno's information page, correct?"

There was a moment of hesitation before the prince nodded.

"The fact that the information bothers you so much implies that you have witnessed an event that warranted your concern."

Ryoma was starting to lose his patience. He doesn't have time to play around. "If you already know everything, Inui-_senpai_, why can't you just give me the details I want?"

"If that's the only thing you desire, then you have already heard everything I know about it," Inui's tone turned darker. "However, if you are patient enough, then perhaps I can enlighten you about a recent development that is most likely connected to the mysterious tea stain."

The prodigy's face displayed slight puzzlement. "You found out who stole your notebooks?"

"That is highly probable," Inui answered before he cleared his throat.

"Until Renji and I exchanged data just an hour ago, I was also in the dark. There were so many events that just didn't make sense to me. However, it seems that some of Renji's teammates found one of the missing links I've been searching for."

Ryoma raised an eyebrow.

And so, Inui began to narrate everything Renji reported to him a while ago.

* * *

Inside a room in a traditional Japanese house, a lone figure was sitting in an Indian position. The person's hand was poised to write a _kanji_ character on a white sheet of paper when his hand started to shake.

"_Tarundoru_!" Genichirou Sanada shouted at himself, vexed that he cannot even practice writing _kanji_ in peace. Ever since the whole thing started, he was rarely at peace with himself. He has so many regrets.

He was about to try writing again when his trained ears caught the soft sounds of footsteps approaching. His muscles reflexively tensed and he swiftly grabbed one of the bamboo swords hanging from the wall. He pointed the tip of the sword at the door, poised to attack the intruder.

A silhouette of a person was seen followed by the sounds of a _shoji_ door opening.

Sanada Genichirou immediately frowned once he recognized the intruder.

"Atobe?"

* * *

"So you're saying he's now after Ryuzaki? Inui-_senpai_, that's not funny." Ryoma looked away from the data man and glared at the steaming green liquid placed in front of him. He was annoyed. Heck, _beyond_ annoyed. While it would still count as a sick joke, he would rather his _senpai_ say that this is just one of his horrible antics.

"Right now, there is only a 0.01% doubt about it. The tea stain and the leather notebook found by the Rikkai regulars are enough evidence to point that he is indeed following Ryuzaki-san."

Ryoma hardened his eyes, still refusing to look at Inui.

"Either way, the fact that you haven't walked away suggests that you already believe what I just said," Inui continued calmly.

"It doesn't make sense. Why Ryuzaki? She barely has any connection to the four victims," Ryoma tried to reason out, wanting to find a way to refute his _senpai_'s logic.

"_Ah_. But I think her connection to the murderer is in fact the most important one."

The prince finally glanced up at his _senpai_, his eyes questioning.

"You are right. She doesn't fit in the pattern. There were four tennis players who were attacked. Even if Ryuzaki-san is also a tennis player, she would be a deviation from the normal victims who are far more skilled than her and are actually male tennis players."

Inui opened his notebook and continued analyzing.

"I will lay it down step-by-step for you. Based on the Rikkai regulars' accounts, the murderer eavesdropped on Ryuzaki-san. That is another oddity. If he is planning to make her his 5th victim, there is no sense in eavesdropping on his victim for a long period of time, especially since he has written out her schedule information in his notebook. Do you know what I am getting at, Echizen?"

Inui has the prince's full attention now.

"He wants information from Ryuzaki," Ryoma answered in a somewhat deeper tone.

"Precisely. But what kind of information? If it is information about tennis players, he could have easily stolen one of our data books, searched the internet, eavesdropped on other players—there are plenty of more valuable resources available. And yet, he specifically eavesdropped on Ryuzaki-san. I deduced that he needed something different from her—something apparently important that he was willing to risk exposure just to obtain it from her."

"What is it?" the younger boy asked, almost impatiently.

Inui grinned at him, in a very creepy manner.

"That is where the value of data collecting comes in. I reviewed everything I recorded about Ryuzaki-san in my data notebooks and found a probable answer to your question," the data man paused. Ryoma almost glared at his _senpai_.

"You do know that the Seigaku team was present at the same place and the same night when the first attack occured—the _Tanabata_ festival. If so, you must also remember that Ryuzaki-san and Osakada-san were there as well."

Ryoma frowned. Of course, he remembered. He remembered arguing with his _buchou_ about allowing him to walk Ryuzaki himself, granted that he only lives a few blocks away from her house. Apparently, his _buchou_ didn't trust him enough that Fuji-_senpai _ended up walking both Ryuzaki and Osakada home.

"What you probably do not know, however, is that Ryuzaki-san and Osakada-san were in the exact area of the temple where they found Akutsu Jin's bleeding body. In fact, they were at the site of the attack just 22 minutes before it happened."

Upon hearing this, the prince's feline-like eyes widened in shock as he continued to stare at his _senpai_.

"Are you saying they saw something that can incriminate the murderer?" Inui didn't miss how the prince clenched one of his hands beside him.

The data man's dark grin widened.

"That is highly probable. But based on the fact that there are no indications that the murderer wants to target Osakada-san as well, it is logical to assume that only Ryuzaki-san had seen, or at least, noticed the evidence. However, I also have my own reasons to believe that she saw something more valuable than that."

Another pause.

"I believe Ryuzaki-san had actually seen the murderer on that night."

This time, Ryoma fully glared at Inui.

* * *

"What is the meaning of this? You better have a good reason for breaking into my own house."

Sanada narrowed his eyes at Atobe before he lowered his bamboo sword at his side.

The King of Hyoutei simply sent the _fukubuchou_ one of his proud smirks and shut the sliding door before walking towards the Rikkai player.

"Does _ore-sama_'s presence overwhelm you?"

"I don't have time to entertain your ridiculousness" was Sanada's hard answer.

"Well then, perfect. Perhaps you can give me a concise explanation for this." Atobe presented a photograph to the emperor of Rikkai Dai. Sanada frowned as he took the picture from Atobe's hands.

It was the photograph Atobe's "agents" had given to him. The shot that their surveillance camera caught before the building exploded. In the picture was a partly blurry face. However, the contour and the shape of the face plus the unmistakable style of the hair clearly indicate that is was indeed Genichirou Sanada who was caught in the camera.

Sanada's eyes darkened and he directed a barely controlled look of anger at Atobe.

"Don't tell me you-"

"_Ore-sama_ is the one asking questions here." Atobe also hardened his eyes. "Let's not waste our time, Sanada. We are both intelligent men. _Ore-sama_ already knows what you have been doing, and of course, you have some information about _ore-sama_ too."

Sanada tightened his hold around his bamboo sword.

"Do not worry. _Ore-sama_ neither intends to stop you nor get in your way."

At this, Sanada eased his glare at the King of Hyoutei and sent him a calculating look instead.

"You are willing to overlook my actions?"

Atobe smirked. "Only because _ore-sama_ believes that we share some common objectives." The King of Hyoutei's smirk changed into a more cunning one.

"In fact, _ore-sama_ is proposing an alliance."

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Sorry for the short chapter. I wasn't actually planning to put it up this week but since I am going to be busy until next weekend, I decided to post this now. It kinda works anyway, right? xD

Also, I am going to apologize now for the length of this mystery fic. I did plan this to be a long one even before I started. I know I might lose some of my readers along the way but try to stay with me! I promise to update at least once a week in return! Lol.

Anyway, thank you so much to those who reviewed. It is always a pleasure to read your guys' guesses and hunches about the murderer. They are greatly appreciated and always inspire me to update more quickly. I hope other readers take time to review as well. Even a single word is okay! xD

But yeah, long author's note. See you next time!

**Japanese Vocab:**

_Tarundoru_ – you're too relaxed! (Sanada's catchphrase)

_shoji_ - Japanese sliding doors


	17. Mysterious Message

**XVII. Mysterious Message**

Inui glanced at Ryoma.

The prince had been deadly quiet after the data man said his last sentence. The data man cleared his throat and decided to continue their conversation.

"However, though Ryuzaki-san may have seen the culprit at the festival, it is likely that she still doesn't realize that he is the murderer. After all, as the Nationals pin suggested, he might also be a tennis player, and therefore, a known acquaintance of Ryuzaki-san. That is why even though she may have witnessed an action that strongly incriminated the murderer, she failed to connect it to the attack."

"If Ryuzaki did see the murderer then wouldn't it be easier for him to just kill her instead of stalk her? That way, he can silence her before damage can be done," Ryoma said in a very calm voice that was uncharacteristic even for him.

"I can give two probable explanations to your statement. One: Perhaps it is because the murderer believes that Ryuzaki-san had told another person or recorded the incriminating information somewhere—a diary, for example. If so, then it was smart of him to realize that even if he killed her, the threat would still exist. Hence, the murderer is compelled to obtain this information before he decides what to do with Ryuzaki-san.

The second reason is perhaps because he does not desire to kill Ryuzaki-san. It can imply that he might still have some humanity left in him as he does not want to kill an innocent girl if it is not necessary. _Or_, it can also be because he, himself, is quite fond of Ryuzaki-san."

Inui paused and waited for Ryoma's reaction. Two minutes passed and neither did the prince utter a single word nor move an inch during that time. The prince's eyes also returned to their usual aloof state. Inui suspected that Ryoma had already caught on to his real objective.

"Among us, there are four who are most suspicious," the data man continued to rant. He needed to deliver all the necessary information to his _kouhai_ so _their_ plan can be accomplished. "Interestingly enough, I gathered information that all four of them were also present at the _Tanabata_ festival on the night of the first attack. These four are Keigo Atobe of Hyoutei, Kuranosuke Shiraishi of Shitenhouji, Genichirou Sanada of Rikkai, and-"

"Tezuka-_buchou_," Ryoma finished for Inui, still in his deadpan voice. The data man adjusted his glasses and nodded. The tension in the air was thicker than ever.

"That is correct. They have been missing tennis practices and classes. They each seem to be doing some covert work nobody knows about. And in addition, they have suspiciously alternated visiting Akutsu Jin in the hospital the first week after he was attacked. Tezuka visited once. Atobe and Sanada visited twice. Shiraishi did not directly visit Akutsu Jin but I gathered intelligence from a nurse that she had seen a teenage boy who looks like Shiraishi hang out at the common waiting room in the hospital from time to time. She was unsure which room he visits or if he actually visits anyone."

The data man closed his book and laid it on top of the coffee table.

"But of course, we cannot simply discount everyone else. For matters like this, it is wiser to suspect everyone until they are proven innocent. In fact-"

"Why are you telling me all this?" Ryoma interrupted_._ "Why did you let me overhear that information back in the locker room?"

Inui paused and stared at the younger boy before him. The prince, on the other hand, was giving his _senpai_ an accusing look.

The data man's suspicion was confirmed. Ryoma did catch on to his real motive.

"Don't you want the murderer to be caught?" Inui tried to reason out.

"Just say what you want me to do, _senpai_. I don't want to hear more sugar-coated excuses."

The data man sighed. It is useless to hide his real intention now.

"It's because I want you to figure out what Ryuzaki-san knows, Echizen. Guide her to connect the dots, help her fill in the missing puzzle pieces—trigger her memory somehow. She is the strongest link we have as of now and if we can figure out what she knows, then-"

"_Yada_," Ryoma said and moved to grab his crutch.

"_Nani_?" Inui asked as he watched the prince slowly stand up.

"I said I don't want to. What makes you think I can play as a good detective? This is not tennis, Inui-_senpai_," Ryoma said, a hint of irritation in his voice. The prince dragged his crutch and started to hobble towards the door.

Inui adjusted his glasses again. Of course, it will be hard to manipulate the prince to play out his part in their plan. Fuji had warned him about this. It is a good thing they know a certain weakness of the prince.

"Echizen, you do realize that if we don't act soon enough, the murderer would attack again."

Ryoma paused on his way out.

"And with how things are right now, Ryuzaki-san is the biggest threat to him. Who knows when he will decide to simply get rid of her as you predicted?"

_Bingo. _

That did it.

Inui was satisfied when he saw his _kouhai_ turn back to give him a glare.

"Why not get someone else to do it? You and the other _senpai_'s would do a better job of helping Ryuzaki than me. Ask them to do it."

"The answer should be obvious, Echizen," Inui calmly stared back at his _kouhai_.

"She trusts you the most."

Upon hearing those words, Ryoma completely froze. He felt that familiar tug at his heart again.

Meanwhile, the data man casually walked over to the younger boy.

"Of course, I can't force you to do anything. However, I encourage you to think about it carefully, Echizen." Inui walked pass the prince and opened the door for him.

"I trust you to make the right choice."

* * *

When Inui returned to his living room after he saw Ryoma out, Fuji Syuusuke was already sitting on his couch. He was serenely sipping the tea that Inui previously offered to Ryoma.

Inui almost had goosebumps.

_Almost_.

By now, he was used to the _tensai_'s creepy antics.

"_Saa_, that went better than expected," Fuji uttered in his soft voice, flashing the data man his trademark smile.

"The probability of him complying with our plan is 99.9%," Inui asserted as he sat across the _tensai_. He looked at his "partner in crime."

"What do you propose to do next?" the data man asked.

Fuji took another sip from his tea cup before he answered.

"We should make our own move." Fuji's gorgeous blue eyes flashed mischievously for a few seconds before they closed again.

"We can't just let the Rikkai regulars do all the work now, can we? Besides, didn't you find out that some Hyoutei members were catching on as well? Seigaku can't be outperformed."

Inui nodded and smirked as well.

"_Sou da na_."

* * *

"He just left you in his house? How rude of him!" Tomoka Osakada loudly exclaimed from the other end of the line. Sakuno was in her living room doing homework when her best friend called her about half an hour ago. As usual, Tomoka wanted to know the latest scoop on Sakuno. The loud girl found out that the maiden had visited Ryoma earlier that day.

"_Hai_." Sakuno softly sighed, remembering her encounter with the prince earlier. "Ryoma-kun seemed colder than usual. I wonder what I did to make him so mad."

Tomoka let out an expression of frustration. "Ryoma-sama can be such a jerk sometimes! Just when I thought you guys were finally getting closer again. Maybe- Ahhhhh! Don't touch that! Hey-" Sakuno heard a couple of crashes from Tomoka's end followed by a lot of yelling. It took three minutes or so before Tomoka finally returned to her.

"Sorry, Sakuno. I have to go now. I got to clean up my siblings' mess, ugh. I'll talk to you tomorrow!" Tomoka hurriedly informed the shy brunette before she ended their call.

Sakuno couldn't help but smile as she laid her cellphone on the table. Her best friend sure has a lively house compared to hers. It's so unsettlingly quiet in her house at the moment. That's mostly because her _baa_-chan was away on business until morning. Her grandmother had offered to ask Tezuka to keep her company until she can get back. However, Sakuno refused saying that it will only take a few hours anyway and that Kunimitsu-_nii_ seemed busier than usual lately. Besides, she should be old enough to stay at home by herself. And so, she was allowed to stay at home alone after Sumire made her promise that Sakuno will call her right away if anything happens.

The shy brunette shook her head and decided to get back to her homework. She's getting a little behind so she cannot afford to space out tonight. She managed to finish another math problem when she heard her cellphone beep.

Sakuno blinked twice before she picked up her phone. She wondered if Tomoka forgot to say something to her.

She was surprised when her screen displayed that she received a new message from an unknown number. She curiously chose the "view" option on her phone to read it.

**_"Ryuzaki-san,_**

**_Sorry if it seems weird to receive a message from me this way._**

**_I thought that it is better to contact you through text message._**

**_Actually, there is something I want to discuss with you._**

**_If possible, can you meet me next week in front of the Tokyo clock tower at 3 pm?_**

**_As it is kind of personal and private, I request that you do not tell anyone about this nor bring anyone else with you when we meet._**

**_Thank you in advance and I look forward to your confirmation._**

**_Jya na._**

**_-Shiraishi Kuranosuke"_**

"From Shi-Shiraishi-san?" Sakuno exclaimed in surprise. She was about to read the text message again to make sure she didn't read it wrong when she heard the chime of her house's doorbell. The unexpected sound almost made her jump.

Leaving her cellphone on top of the table, Sakuno hesitantly stood up. She frowned, a little worried. The person at the door can't be her _baa-chan_ since she said she won't be home until tomorrow morning. Maybe she came back early, after all?

As Sakuno slowly walked towards the door, the doorbell, once again, chimed forebodingly.

_Ding-dong._

_Ding._

_Ding-dong._

_Ding._

_Ding-_

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Sorry for not updating for two weeks! I got swamped with homework. Thank you, thank you, thank you so much to those who reviewed. I was happy to hear comments from you guys! The next chapter would be up soon. Not sure when, but I promise it won't take two weeks.

Also, I apologize if the first half of the chapter was bland and dry. It's just that it is important to explain the details of the story so nobody gets confused. So yeah, I will work on the next chapter as soon as I can.

Until next time!

**Japanese Vocab:**

_Yada_ – No; I don't want to; I don't feel like it

_Sou da na_ – That is right

_Jya na_ – See you (the use of "na" instead of standard "ne" indicates Osakan dialect)


	18. The Visitor

**XVIII. The Visitor**

Sakuno peeked at the unknown visitor from behind the window curtains. At first, the person was partly hidden by the dark so she wasn't able to recognize who he was. However, as she saw brief flashes of light reflected by a pair of glasses, Sakuno was relieved as she finally recognized the person.

She quickly unlocked the door and opened it to cheerfully greet the man.

"Kuni-… mitsu-_nii_?"

The sweet smile on Sakuno's face immediately disappeared when she saw the way Tezuka Kunimitsu looked that night.

He looked absolutely frightening.

The Seigaku team's _buchou_ appeared haggard and had a grim—almost angry—look on his face. He stared at Sakuno with piercing eyes.

"K-Kunimitsu-_nii_?" Sakuno asked uncertainly. "_D-daijobu_?" Concern was evident on the brunette's brown eyes as she anxiously waited for an answer.

Tezuka ignored Sakuno's question and looked behind him instead—as if scanning the area around Sakuno's house. Satisfied upon confirming that the place was mostly deserted, he walked into Sakuno's house without saying a word to the brunette.

The girl had no choice but to open the door wider when the captain started to push his way in. She helplessly stared at his back as he made his way further into her house.

Sakuno frowned.

Kunimitsu-_nii_ never entered her house without waiting for permission. Even though the captain had an intimidating countenance, he was never—ever—rude.

The brunette stood frozen at the door, not really knowing what to do. She was starting to get scared.

"Close the door," the captain ordered.

Sakuno was reluctant to obey the order. Normally, she wouldn't feel uneasy being alone in the house with the stoic captain. He had babysat her at night many times before. It's just that right now, Kunimitsu-_nii_ is acting so unlike himself that it was creeping her out.

"Sakuno," Tezuka called, turning his head to give her a look. "Close the door," Tezuka repeated, his voice sterner and more threatening than ever.

"_H-hai_," Sakuno softly uttered as she was forced to obey. The brunette closed the door slowly, dreading to be locked up inside the house with him.

After it was closed, she anxiously turned to face Tezuka. Thanks to the better lighting inside the house, Sakuno now noticed that the captain was also sporting a purplish bruise on his left cheek.

"_Buchou_," she started, not really wanting to call him _nii-san_ right now, especially since it seems like she doesn't know this Tezuka who was in front of her. "That bruise on your cheek…"

The stoic captain's eyes unconsciously became colder.

"It's none of your business," he said, almost too quickly. He turned around to hide his face from further scrutiny, and sat on the living room couch instead.

"Do you have tea?" he hastily asked, changing the topic.

Sakuno nodded, a little bothered that she forgot her manners from thinking too much.

"_Ha__i, g__omen nasai_. I'll go prepare it right now," she answered before heading to the kitchen.

* * *

Sakuno came back carrying a tea tray. She was about to announce her presence when she noticed that Tezuka was staring at her cellphone. Looking at the table, she realized that the cellphone seemed to have been moved. She could've sworn that she left her cellphone on top of her math book. Now it was placed on the farther right end of the table.

"_B-buchou_?" she called hesitantly, "I brought your tea."

Tezuka didn't seem to hear her so she just carefully placed the tea on top of the table. As she was moving away, she was surprised when Tezuka suddenly grabbed her arm.

"T-Tezuka-_buchou_?" Sakuno looked at him in alarm. His grip was kind of painful. "P-please let go."

No response.

In fact, his grip just tightened.

* * *

Ryoma removed his shoes with difficulty as he entered his house. He hates this injury of his. It makes everything difficult.

He sighed and called out a heartless "_ta__daima_" as he hobbled with his crutch into the house.

"Ah!" a female voice came from the room on Ryoma's left. "_Okaerinasai_, Ryoma-san. Come in and eat. Dinner is ready." Nanako smiled as she saw Ryoma enter the kitchen.

Ryoma sat in front of the table and stared curiously at the vast amount of food on the table.

"_Okaa-san_ had a party?" he asked.

Nanako giggled as she settled a plate in front of Ryoma. "No," she answered simply.

"Then what's up with all these food?" Ryoma tried again. There were soup, curry, rice balls, and plenty of vegetable dishes in front of him.

His cousin just smiled at him in the way older sisters smile at their brothers when they find something cute about them. It was irking Ryoma.

"_Nani_?" he asked apathetically.

Nanako let out another melodious giggle. "Okay, I give up, Ryoma-san. She made me promise not to tell you but it's just too sweet and she totally deserves some kind of thanks for doing this."

Ryoma just continued to stare at her.

"It was Sakuno-chan. I found her here a while ago and she asked if she could borrow our kitchen for a little while. She ended up cooking you tons of healthy meals to help your ankle heal faster. I told her it wasn't necessary but she insisted. That girl really cares about you a lot, _ne_?" Nanako said as she walked out of the room, intending to do other chores.

The tennis prodigy blinked and looked at the food in front of him. He frowned, feeling his cheeks heat up a little.

"That idiot…" he muttered to himself as he grabbed some chopsticks and started to eat.

* * *

"_Omae_..." Tezuka finally spoke, all the while staring at her with those piercing, cold eyes. He was about to continue his sentence when Sakuno's cellphone started to ring, surprising both of them.

They both glanced at the phone as it continued to play sounds.

Tezuka slowly released Sakuno's arm and straightened up. Sakuno took it as a chance to move away from him. She quickly answered her cellphone without bothering to check the caller ID. She was desperate to talk to someone else right now—someone other than Tezuka, who was really frightening her.

"_M-moshi moshi_," Sakuno answered, her voice a little shaky.

There was a short pause before the other person replied.

"Ryuzaki."

Sakuno cannot describe the amount of relief she felt when she heard the familiar voice. She composed herself as much as she can before answering.

"Ryoma-kun…" She smiled, almost teary-eyed over the phone. She didn't know why but she immediately felt much safer just by hearing his voice.

"_Doushita_?" Ryoma asked from the other end of the line. "You sound frightened."

Sakuno glanced at Tezuka, debating whether to tell Ryoma that their _buchou_ is in her house right now. She was glad to find out that the stoic captain was not watching her and was staring at her math book, instead. He seemed to be deep in thought.

"_Iie. Ano.._." Sakuno bit her lip. "I was just surprised that Ryoma-kun called. How is your ankle?" she asked.

"It's alright," was Ryoma's curt reply.

"That's a relief to hear. Please get plenty of rest so it will heal quickly and then Ryoma-kun can play tennis again," she uttered as cheerfully as she can.

"Hn."

"…"

"…"

"_Eto_…" Sakuno mumbled, not wanting to end their conversation right away. She wanted to stay on the phone with Ryoma for as long as possible. The brunette was surprised when it was actually Ryoma who initiated a topic.

"About that mountain of food you cooked..."

Sakuno winced, worried that Ryoma was upset that she used his kitchen as if she lived in the house. "_Ano, gomen! _I didn't mean to intrude and freely use Ryoma-kun's kitchen. It's just that-"

"Sorry won't do," Ryoma cut off her rant.

"Then maybe-"

"Come over here and help me eat it."

"-and then I won't ever- _E-eh_!" Sakuno exclaimed loudly as Ryoma's last words finally registered in her mind.

"_Ii jyan?_ _Oyaji _will come and pick you up."

Sakuno instinctively looked at Tezuka again before she said a hesitant "_h__ai_." The captain didn't move an inch since she last looked at him.

"Good. He'll be there in ten minutes. _Jya,_" Ryoma said before he ended their call.

Sakuno unconsciously clutched the phone, starting to feel frightened again now that she is no longer talking to Ryoma.

Her eyes widened when Tezuka suddenly stood up. She watched him wearily as he crossed the room.

"I'm leaving," he briefly muttered before he headed towards the door.

"_H-hai_. _Sayonara_, _buchou_," Sakuno muttered weakly as she watched him leave her house. She sighed in relief and quickly went to lock the door once Tezuka was out of her house.

Sakuno then slid down the door, leaning against it in exhaustion. There was something that's not right and she can feel it. She just hoped that her Kunimitsu-_nii_ is really alright and would be himself again the next time she sees him.

She stayed in that position, not really having the energy to do much.

About ten minutes later, Nanjiroh did come to pick her up just as Ryoma promised.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Here's the next chapter just as I promised! What do you guys think? Please review.

**Japanese Vocab:**

_Kunimitsu-nii_ – "Big brother Kunimitsu"

_Daijobu?_ – Are you alright?

_Buchou_ – captain

_Tadaima_ – I'm home

_Okaerinasai_ – Welcome home

_Okaa-san – Mother_

_Omae _– you

_Doushita?_ – What's wrong?

_Iie_ – no

_Eto_ – can be roughly translated as "um"

_Ii jyan_ – It should be okay, right? (in bratty language)

_Oyaji - _father

_Jya –_ see you


	19. Street Commotion

**XIX. Street Commotion**

Friday, 12:05 pm.

It was lunch time at Seigaku High School. The entire school seems to be filled with noisy chatters as students happily ate their lunches and eagerly talked about the coming weekend. In the corridor that intersected the third year classrooms, a braided girl was standing outside a particular class. She appeared to be looking for someone inside the room.

"Ryuzaki-san?"

The sudden voice startled Sakuno. When she glanced at the direction where the voice came from, she saw her Oisihi-_senpai_ looking at her with a kind smile.

"What are you doing in this area? Do you need anything?" he asked before he glanced at the sign in front of the classroom she was looking at.

Year 3, Class 1.

Tezuka's classroom.

Sakuno saw slight apprehension in Oishi's eyes as realization dawned upon him. He quickly masked it with his usual friendly expression.

"Ah, _gomen nasai_. He didn't come to school again today. Perhaps he is really busy dealing with college applications. Can I help you in his place, instead?" Oishi good-naturedly offered.

Sakuno forced a smile on her face and softly shook her head.

"_Iie_, it's nothing important_. _Thank you though, Oishi-_senpai_." She bowed in front of him and turned to leave the area. Oishi watched her walk away with sympathetic eyes.

_Busy with college preparations._

That's what everyone has been telling her.

After that weird Sunday night encounter with Kunimitsu-_nii_, she had wanted to have a talk with the captain. She needed to make sure he's alright.

Unfortunately, Tezuka did not come to school at all that week. He was even absent from the tennis practices. She tried to call his cellphone but she only reached his voicemail. Worried about him, Sakuno braved to visit his house one day. His mother simply told her that Tezuka is taking some leave from his classes in order to study for college entrance examinations.

She hoped that that is really the case.

But somehow, she has a gut feeling that there is something wrong.

Sakuno noticed that the regulars had been hiding something from her as well. She caught serious and bothered looks from them whenever a topic about their _buchou_ was brought up. However, whenever she is around, they try to act normal and pretend that nothing's wrong. She tried to ask them about Tezuka but they simply assured her that he is indeed busy preparing for college.

Even Ryoma remained elusive when it comes to the topic.

Nobody wanted to tell her anything.

Sakuno let out a sigh. With a heavy heart, she returned to her own classroom to eat her lunch.

* * *

'How dare they cancel tennis practice today,' Ryoma thought irritably.

His ankle had finally healed. After a week of being forbidden to play tennis, the prince was super eager to come to practice today. He had been itching to play matches with the other regulars since Monday. Nanjiroh almost had to chain his tennis rackets at home to prevent the boy from being tempted to play.

And then, their _fukubuchou_ just had to cancel practice.

'Tch.'

Apparently, the third years needed to attend an after-school assembly they can't afford to miss.

So now, he's stuck with nothing to do. As he's heading home, he figured he might as well walk home with that klutzy girl. It's logical. Their houses are on the same way, anyway, so why not? In that way, he can make sure she gets home safely as well.

_Safely_.

That reminded the prince of his talk with Inui last week. With the constant absence of their _buchou_, the problem seems to be just getting more serious.

He'll have to talk to Inui-_senpai_ again. He has new things to discuss with the data man.

As the prince reached the first year classroom, he heard familiar loud voices coming from inside the room.

"Why do I have to mop the floor again? I did it last week!"

"I'm a girl. Are you going to let a girl mop the floor? You're _such_ a gentleman, Horio."

"If you act more womanly, then maybe I would treat you like one!"

"What did you say?"

Ryoma opened the door to the classroom and walked inside, ignoring the senseless argument. He's gotten used to it by now.

"Ah, Ryoma-kun," Kachiro turned to give the prince a smile when he entered. The others, including the two people who were bickering, turned their attention to the newcomer.

"Oho, Echizen!" Horio moved away from Tomoka and approached the tennis prodigy, placing a hand on his shoulder as if they were long-time best friends.

"Did you come here to seek my advice? I've always known you would do this considering I have five years of tennis-"

Ryoma pushed Horio's hand away from his shoulder and walked past the blubbering first year. He then glanced around the room.

"Isn't Ryuzaki on cleaning duty today?" Ryoma asked.

Upon the mention of her best friend, Osakada Tomoka apparently came back to life and beamed at the prince.

"Ryoma-sama is looking for Sakuno? Awww. I've always known you have the hots for her!"

Hearing Tomoka's words, Horio was struck by jealousy. "Hey, is this true, Echizen? Come to think of it, you have been hanging around her a lot recently. Are you trying to steal her away from me?"

"She was never yours, Horio. How many times did she reject you again?" Tomoka asked with a smug smile.

"S- she- she never rejected me! It just so happens that I asked during bad times and she had chores to do," Horio uttered defensively.

"Of course, it's because Sakuno's too nice to openly reject you."

Horio growled at the pigtailed girl and they started a new argument again. Ryoma was getting really irritated. Fortunately, Katsuo had the decency to answer his long-forgotten question.

"Ryuzaki-san left early today, Ryoma-kun. It seems like she had something to do."

Tomoka decided to butt in. "I happen to know where she's going."

"Really?" Kachiro asked curiously.

"Yap," the girl replied before she grinned evilly, "She's going on a date."

"_Ehhhh_!" the_ ichinen_ trio uttered together. Their mouths hanged open.

Ryoma's brow almost twitched. _Almost_. 'Don't tell me it's with that guy again,' he silently thought, remembering the night he saw the brunette with the junior ace from Rikkai.

"Well, she wanted to keep it a secret, I guess, since she didn't tell me about it. I just happened to 'accidentally' go through her text messages one day and found out," Tomoka continued.

"Who's this guy? Tell me who he is so I can beat him up!" the loudest of the _ichinen_ trio exclaimed hotly.

Tomoka let out a girly giggle and looked at Horio incredulously.

"You? Beat up this person? That's impossible." She laughed again.

Horio was embarrassed. "You think I can't beat him up?"

"Oh, heck no," was Tomoka's chiding answer. "That's because…"

She paused to keep the others waiting.

"…her date is Shiraishi Kuranosuke, the _captain_ of the Shitenhouji Tennis Team," Tomoka finally said with a proud grin.

'Shiraishi Kuranosuke?'

Ryoma froze upon hearing the name. All of a sudden, his heart started pounding quickly. He roughly pushed a chair that was on the way and walked over to Tomoka.

"_Oi_, do you know when and where they're meeting at?" the prince asked the girl in an urgent tone.

Tomoka, satisfied upon seeing what she thinks is jealousy on Ryoma's face, smiled happily. "If I remembered correctly, I think they're meeting in front of the Tokyo Clock Tower at 3 pm. I can't be sure though," the girl said while tapping her chin.

The tennis prodigy glanced at the clock inside the room and found that it was already 2:45. '_Shimatta_,' he silently cursed and dashed out of the room.

The _ichinen_ trio can only blink as a hard slam of the door was heard before Ryoma disappeared from their view.

* * *

At downtown Tokyo, crowds filled the streets as huge sales from various department stores attracted many eager shoppers. Sakuno stood in front of the passing crowd. She checked the time from the Tokyo Clock Tower.

2:50 pm.

'I made it just in time.' She let out a sigh of relief.

The brunette was worried that she would be late for her meeting with the Shitenhouji captain. That's why she decided to go super early, just in case she manages to get herself lost for the umpteenth time. Fortunately, no such thing happened today. She didn't want to be rude to Shiraishi.

Looking at the passing vehicles on the street in front of her, Sakuno couldn't help but think about her Kunimitsu-_nii_ again. It has been bugging her. Something about his appearance last Sunday night seemed odd. However, like what seems to be happening a lot recently, she couldn't quite put her finger on it. It's like her gut feeling is telling her something, yet she can't figure out what.

Her thoughts were distracted by the sudden vibration of her cellphone. She looked at the screen of the phone and found that she had a new message.

'From Akaya-kun?'

She immediately smiled at the thought of the Rikkai junior ace. She hasn't talked to him that much this week. He also seemed to be quite busy lately.

**"_Sa-chan,_**

**_Genki?  
Y'know, I saw a bunny today and it reminded me of 'ya._**

**_It was really cute._**

**_Well, just wanted to let you know._**

**_Text me back sometime. _**

**_-Akaya_"**

'Mou, Akaya-kun.' Sakuno couldn't help but widen her smile as she composed a reply to Kirihara's message.

Unfortunately, the brunette failed to notice an ominous presence that loomed right behind her the entire time.

* * *

Ryoma sped through an intersection and turned a corner. He ran all the way from the school to downtown. He didn't exactly have the luxury of time to wait for a bus.

While he's running, he felt a faint, throbbing pain coming from his left ankle. He was probably putting too much stress on his ankle when it just healed. He didn't care though. Right now, all he can think about is Sakuno. He continued to ignore his protesting lungs and aching muscles as he sprinted towards his destination.

'Wait for me,' he unconsciously pleaded.

He finally reached the area where the Tokyo Clock Tower is located. He hastily scanned the area looking for a certain braided brunette. There were a lot of people in the area and it was taking a long time. Impatient, the prince found an empty bench on the sidewalk and decided to stand on top of it to quicken his search.

'_Doko da?_'

Panting from lack of breath, he threw quick, furtive glances around the place, desperate to find the girl. He was about to move to another spot when his eyes caught a person with long and braided brown hair standing next to the street.

'Ryuzaki.'

He was about to jump down from the bench and head towards her when his sharp eyes caught something else. There was a person wearing a long black coat and a large hat standing behind Sakuno. The prince's heart fell when he saw the man reach a hand towards her.

"Ryuzaki!"

* * *

Sakuno was startled when she heard someone shout her name.

'It sounded like Ryo-'

Her brown eyes suddenly widened when she felt a hard shove from behind. Before she realized it, she was already pushed towards the middle of the street and was falling down. Pain vaguely registered in her mind when she hit the concrete ground.

Just when she was trying to make sense of what just happened, a loud deafening honk further blanked out her mind. She glanced to the side and saw something that completely paralyzed her.

A huge truck was speeding towards her as she laid there in the middle of the street.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Yay! I finished a chapter in the middle of the week. I am proud of myself. Lol. I would like to take the time to thank those who reviewed again. They really make me happy and inspire me to update more quickly.

Thank you so much, everyone.

**Japanese Vocab:**

_Gomen nasai _– polite form of "I'm sorry"

_Buchou _– captain

_Fukubuchou_ – vice captain

_Ichinen_ – First year

_Shimatta_ – Damn it; Damn

_Genki_? – Are you well?

_Doko da?_ – Where are you?


	20. Allies

**XX. Allies**

Her mind repeatedly screamed at her to run.

She wasn't able to do anything, however, as her whole body seemed to be paralyzed with shock. As the truck came closer with each nanosecond, she could only stare at it in horror.

At the very last moment, she closed her eyes. From then on, only her ears and her tactile senses told her what happened.

There was an ear-splitting, screeching sound from the brakes.

There was also pain as her body briefly crashed against something before it was pulled towards an unknown direction.

She felt her body fly for a second or two before she finally landed on something.

_Then more excruciating pain. _Or that was what she expected to come next, at least.

When no such thing came, her mind was bewildered. She reluctantly opened an eye to see what happened. Is she already dead? Did it happen so quickly that she didn't even have time to get the entire painful experience?

That was when she became fully aware of an overwhelming presence surrounding her. She felt the quick heartbeat and the heavy rise and fall of the person's chest. It wasn't long before she finally realized that she was sitting cradled on somebody's lap, and that a pair of arms were protectively around her—a hand keeping her head close to his chest.

Sakuno hurriedly glanced up to see the person's face.

She found a pair of yellow, feline-like eyes worriedly staring back at her as their owner heavily panted from exhaustion. She vaguely thought that she had never seen Ryoma with such a panicked look in his eyes. He was always so confident and aloof.

'R-Ryoma-kun…'

* * *

When Ryoma saw the man push Sakuno into the street, his body reacted instinctively. He didn't even think. He automatically sprinted as fast as he can towards her, not caring about how many people he pushed on the way.

He was scared that he wasn't going to make it. He desperately hoped that his years of tennis practice enhanced his speed enough to allow him to get to her in time.

Fate was apparently kind to him. The tennis prodigy was able to reach the girl just a few seconds before the truck came within five feet of her. He used all his force to drag her body up and enveloped her in a protective embrace as he propelled both of their bodies towards the opposite sidewalk. He made sure to reverse their position so he can break her fall when they landed.

Ryoma barely felt the stinging scratches his back received as they slid across the ground. He was more concerned about the girl. He quickly sat up, cradling her in his arms, and immediately checked on her. A great burden was lifted off his chest once he saw that she was unharmed.

'_Mattaku… you really are troublesome_,_'_ he thought, closing his eyes in relief. They snapped open again as he remembered something important.

'That bastard.'

His eyes hardened in anger as he searched for the man who pushed Sakuno from across the street. He found that he was still in the middle of the crowd and was watching them as well. Upon noticing that Ryoma was looking at him, however, he took a step back in alarm and bolted away.

Ryoma's first thought was to follow him but then the extra weight on top of him reminded the prince of Sakuno's presence. He can't just leave her alone unprotected. He continued to stare after the man in dismay as he realized that he would just have to let him go for now.

And then he saw it—a blurry mixture of yellow and green, and something brown. It was moving so fast that even his sharp eyes had trouble distinguishing it amidst the crowd. It went off to the same direction the crook disappeared to.

Before he could ponder more about what that thing was, he saw another flash of yellow and green—this time, with a mixture of black. Although it was also moving quite fast, it was not as fast as the first one he saw, but it also ran off to the same direction.

'What the-?'

The third appearance of the yellow and green combination made everything clear to him. He saw a boy with vibrant red hair grin childishly, and give him a thumbs up before he followed the first two yellow and green flashes.

'No way,' Ryoma thought, a little baffled.

His musing was disturbed when Sakuno finally called out to him.

"Ryoma-kun…?" the girl uttered in a shaky voice, her large chocolate brown eyes looking at him anxiously.

Ryoma glanced down at her. "_Daijobu ka?_"

"_Hai_. _A-ano…_"

"Save it for later. Let's get out of here for now," the prince said as he pulled both himself and Sakuno up. He noticed that the crowd was getting more curious.

"Can you walk?" Ryoma asked the brunette, not letting go of her yet.

"_Hai_," was her simple answer. Her close brush with death seemed to have shaken the poor girl quite badly.

The prince nodded before he finally released her. After making sure that she can stand alone and walk by herself, he grabbed her hand and quickly led her away from the nosy crowd. He heard the driver of the truck get out of the vehicle and shout interrogating questions at them. Ryoma ignored him.

They walked until they were at least a block away from the scene.

Suddenly, Sakuno stopped. Feeling the slight resistance since their hands were still connected, Ryoma also had to stop and look back at her.

He saw that she was frowning at the ground.

"_A-ano… _I have to meet someone."

That struck a nerve with Ryoma. He let go of her hand, as if he was burned.

"After what just happened?" the prince gave her a condescending glare.

"_D-demo-_"

"You're not meeting him," the prince said in an authoritative tone before starting to walk again. Sakuno looked at him in apprehension.

"Ryoma-kun…"

Ignored.

Ryoma just kept walking.

"How did you-"

Ryoma swiftly turned back to her and uttered a sentence that temporarily shut down their current conversation.

"Can we at least get some Ponta before anything?"

* * *

From his hidden place in a shadowy alley, Kuranosuke Shiraishi saw the whole street commotion. He frowned as he saw the tennis prodigy save Sakuno. He was about to head over to them when the Bible of Shitenhouji sensed a presence behind him.

Shiraishi calmly glanced behind. Upon confirming the identity of the person, a confident smirk appeared on his handsome face.

"Why am I not surprised to see you here…" the Shitenhouji captain said as he turned to face the man, "…Tezuka?"

* * *

A cherry-flavored Ponta was held up to her face. Sakuno cutely blinked as she tried to focus on the object. She was still a little scatterbrained.

The brunette managed to mutter a very soft "_arigatou_" before she accepted the drink. Ryoma stood beside her and drank his own Ponta.

Looking at her unopened can, Sakuno wondered if it is okay to discuss things now. Nothing is making any sense to her. She has plenty of questions for Ryoma.

"Ryoma-kun, about earlier... How-"

"Koshimaeeeeee! Saaaaaaakuno-chaaaaan!" a loud and cheerful voice rudely interrupted the maiden's inquiry.

Both teenagers managed to recognize the voice way before they saw its owner coming. Sure enough, the hyperactive boy appeared in front of them in less than a second. He wasn't alone, however. A black-haired boy wearing a similar yellow and green jersey was a few feet behind him.

"_Wah_! I knew Koshimae would be around a Ponta vending machine! Didn't I tell you, Zaizen? Didn't I tell you?" Tooyama Kintarou boasted, apparently proud of his accomplishment. His companion, on the other hand, simply chose to ignore him.

Sakuno stared at them in surprise.

"T-Tooyama-kun?" the braided girl asked uncertainly. Unlike Ryoma, she failed to spot the Shitenhouji regulars back at the area of the incident. Hence, she was bewildered of the Osakans' sudden appearances in Tokyo. She wondered if they came with the person who she was supposed to be meeting today—Shitenhouji's team captain.

Kintarou turned to her, a huge smile plastered on his youthful face. "Sakuno-chaaan!" Before Ryoma and Sakuno could react, the red-haired boy had already glomped Sakuno. The brunette blushed as she was caught in his warm hug.

"I've missed you! I've missed you tooons! I've been begging Shiraishi to arrange a practice game between Shitenhouji and Seigaku. So, so I can have a match with Koshimae and so I can eat more of your yummy tennis rice balls! Oh, oh! do you have-" the boy's long speech was cut off when he felt a hand grab a hold of his jersey and forcefully pull him away from Sakuno.

He looked at the rude intruder and was met face-to-face with the irritated expression of his rival.

"_Iya ya_, Koshimae! I wasn't done talking to Sakuno-chan!"

Ryoma's brow twitched. 'That wasn't just talking,' he thought in annoyance.

Kintarou struggled and was able to get away from Ryoma's hold. As soon as he was free, he made a move to huggle Sakuno again. However, his face only met Ryoma's other hand, effectively stopping the red-haired boy from getting close to the braided girl.

"Let me go, Koshimae! I wanna hug Sakuno-chan!"

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Ryoma asked.

"Something?" Kintarou asked in return, confused. "I'm not forgetting anything!"

Ryoma's brow twitched again. The boy's denseness was starting to get on his nerves. The prince looked at Zaizen.

"_Gomen_. Can you stay with Ryuzaki for a while? We'll get more Ponta," Ryoma asked the black-haired boy.

Hikaru Zaizen, who chose to remain silent until now, looked at him apathetically but gave the prince a nod. With the second year boy's confirmation, Ryoma started to drag Kintarou away. The red head struggled and whined uselessly.

The prince briefly told Sakuno to stay at the place and wait for him before the first years disappeared from their view. Sakuno wasn't able to do anything but stare after her two friends.

* * *

Once they were at a considerable distance from Zaizen and Sakuno, Ryoma released Kintarou and stared at him expectantly. The other boy pouted as he glared at his rival.

"_Uah_! You didn't have to make it so obvious to Sakuno-chan! Koshimae, you're really stupid, aren't you?"

Ryoma wanted to say "look who's talking" but repressed the desire.

"Did you catch him?" the prince asked, straight to the point as usual.

"Of course! Kenya is really, really fast. He overtook the bad guy in no time! They're at the police station right now."

Ryoma narrowed his eyes, suddenly feeling tensed. "Who's the guy?"

Kintarou shrugged. "Don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know?" Ryoma's glare intensified.

"Well, Kenya and I asked who he was and why he dared to do that to Sakuno-chan. Sakuno-chan is really nice and sooo pretty and she really doesn't deserve that. But he only told us that somebody paid him to do it. The guy even gave him the black coat and the huge hat as costumes!" Upon saying this, Tooyama Kintarou frowned.

"Did you ask who paid him?"

"Kenya asked him that. He said he doesn't know because it was done over the phone and the money was just sent to his house. That guy is really a jerk, _ne_, Koshimae? I wanted to throw a lot of tennis balls at him but Kenya stopped me." The red-haired boy squatted and leaned against a bike railing on the sidewalk they're currently at.

"Hn," Ryoma grunted, opting to stand across from him. The prince suddenly remembered the initial cause of the whole street incident and realized that this is his chance to investigate.

"_Ne_, how did you guys know he was going to attack Ryuzaki?" he asked the red-haired boy.

"We didn't," Kintarou replied.

For some reason, the Osakan boy became gloomier. "Well, when we came to Tokyo, I just luckily spotted Sakuno-chan. Then we all noticed the shady man behind her. Then he pushed her. And we were supposed to save her. But then you came, Koshimae! So we just chased the bad guy," he explained as he drew imaginary figures on the ground.

Ryoma took in the information before blurting out the question that had been bugging him since he saw the Shitenhouji regulars.

"Did you come with Shiraishi-san?" the prince asked his fellow first year.

At this question, he noticed that the usually cheerful boy became even gloomier. "No." He pouted, his gray eyes reflecting a worried expression. "That's because Shiraishi has been gone for a while now. From school and from tennis practices and from his home too! We just thought we'd find him here so we came here to look for him."

Ryoma's eyes hardened. He's bothered by the fact that they seem to be getting nowhere with all these mysteries that just keep popping up.

"What makes you think you'd find him here?" the prince followed up.

Kintarou straightened up though he continued to stare at the ground at his imaginary shapes. Then, he spoke in a bothered tone that Ryoma had never heard him use before.

"Because I found a piece of paper that had a bunch of Sakuno-chan's information on top of Shiraishi's desk at his house."

* * *

Sakuno stared at her cellphone. It was fortunately not heavily damaged when she got randomly pushed into the street just moments ago, though it did receive a few scratches.

She felt really bad about not meeting Shiraishi at the place and time they agreed upon. What if he was still there waiting for her? She really can't do anything right now because she promised Ryoma that she would stay here and wait for him.

While waiting for Ryoma and Kintarou to come back, she tried to call Shiraishi's phone a couple of times, intending to inform him that she can't come to their meeting today. Unfortunately, his phone seemed to be off as she kept reaching his voicemail.

She also tried talking to the serious second year of Shitenhouji team who was currently with her at the moment. Apparently, he's more unresponsive than Ryoma as she only managed to get a "no" out of him when she asked if Shiraishi came today with them. Other than that, he remained silent.

Then, there's also the issue of the person who just tried to kill her moments ago. She wanted to believe that it was purely an accident but her instincts are not that stupid. She clearly felt that somebody intended to kill her right there and then.

And so, here she is right now, anxious and worried as she sat on the bench waiting for her friends to come back. She was about to try calling Shiraishi's cellphone again when her cellphone beeped in time and alerted her that she received a new message.

The brunette was very glad when she saw the sender's name.

It was Shiraishi.

Maybe now she can apologize for her rudeness today and hope that he would understand. However, a frown soon appeared on the brunette's innocent face as she read the content of the message. It was more puzzling than the first text message that he sent to her.

The text only contained one word:

"_Tanabata_."

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Shitenhouji love? I feel like they were kind of left out in the story so I gave them more love. I also adore RyoSakuKin so I inserted a bit of it in this chapter.

Hope you guys enjoyed it! Please read and review. I love reading your guys' comments!

**Japanese Vocab:**

_Mattaku_ – an expression that expresses slight frustration though not really in a negative way

_Daijobu ka?_ - a boyish way of asking "Are you alright?"

_Iya ya_ – I don't want to! (the "ya" part indicates Osakan speech)

_Gomen_ - sorry


	21. Burden

**XXI. Burden**

"_Ne_, Koshimae," Kintarou asked the boy who was standing opposite him. His gray eyes still shone brightly though the redhead prodigy was obviously distressed. "Chitose told me all about it. That you're in the same position as me. What would you do, huh?"

"About what?" Ryoma asked disinterestedly, absorbed in his own thoughts. Both prodigies were still in a secluded street—away from Sakuno and Zaizen. They had been quiet up until now.

"The bad guy! The killer!" Kintarou fisted his right hand and closed the distance between him and his rival. He looked at Ryoma with all seriousness in his face. "What if… If…" The first year's face suddenly crumbled in a heart-breaking manner.

"What if it's Shiraishi… No- Wait…" Kintarou shook his head in emphasis of his words. "In your case … What if it's your serious-faced _buchou_? What would you do, Koshimae?"

The prince gave him a blank look, not really expecting that question to come out of the childish player. So it seems that even the Shitenhouji regulars have caught up with recent developments. He's not really surprised, however, since news—no matter how secret you think it maybe—travel really fast within the tennis community. With Chitose in the Osaka team, of course Shitenhouji wouldn't let themselves be left behind.

Ryoma doesn't really mind. Perhaps it is better if more tennis players know about the situation. So maybe then they could all cooperate to catch the murderer. However, there is one big problem in that—could he really trust the others to be innocent? What if one of them is the actual murderer and not among the four they are suspecting? Heck, maybe the murderer even has accomplices and they are working in groups. Who knows, right?

"Koshimae! Did you hear my question? I'm asking you, Koshimae! Koshi-"

"Quit being so loud. I can hear you just fine," Ryoma cut off the redhead's deafening interrogation with a glare.

"Your own fault for not answering me!" Kintarou retaliated.

"_Che_."

"So? What is your answer?" the redhead asked again, not having any intention to give up.

Ryoma sighed and finally answered just to shut up the childish player. "I'll do the obvious, of course. Catch him and turn him in."

"_Eh_? Just like that?" Kintarou's large, innocent eyes blinked once before they focused on the prince. He stared at Ryoma as if the prince grew another head.

"Hn."

"You're heartless, Koshimae!" the redhead suddenly cried, grabbing the prince's shirt in the process. Kintarou gave him an incredulous look. "I didn't think that even you could be this heartless! You don't even care if the murderer is your _buchou_, huh?" the boy ranted, shaking the prince in unveiled anger.

The suspicions surrounding Shiraishi must have been seriously worrying the redhead a lot. After all, Shiraishi is like an older brother to him. He had always been the only person who can keep Kintarou in line. Now that his "older brother" can be potentially a murderer, the poor boy is unsure of how to handle the situation.

Ryoma soon got fed up with all the shaking and pushed the other first year away. "What do you propose to do then? Just let him kill more people?" he asked Kintarou calmly.

His question hit the boy hard—as if somebody had literally punched him in the face. The redhead's eyes displayed obvious signs of distress. "But I- It's-"

Ryoma closed his own eyes in slight frustration and suavely shoved a hand inside his shorts' pocket. "Never mind. You're too immature to understand anyway," the prince uttered, not really paying attention to his own words.

It was a mean thing to say, especially in their current situation—it was really uncalled for. It snapped something inside Kintarou.

"At least… At least I'm mature enough to admit my feelings to myself," Kintarou spat back, glaring at Ryoma seriously.

Ryoma doesn't know why, but he felt that the redhead wasn't referring to the murderer situation when he said his last sentence. It somehow pissed him off.

"What did you say?" Ryoma asked in a cold tone.

The atmosphere around the two thickened as the first year prodigies glared at each other.

* * *

"Burden."

Sakuno was startled when her silent companion suddenly said a word. She had been busy trying to figure out what Shiraishi's last text message meant when Zaizen interrupted her concentration.

Glancing at the black-haired second year, she softly uttered an unsure "_e__h_?" to clarify what she heard.

Zaizen didn't spare her a glance. He continued to stare pointlessly across the street. He was leaning against a lamp post in a casual manner. Sakuno was starting to doubt if he really did say something.

"Isn't that what most girls are?" he finally replied, dispelling Sakuno's doubt. "Just burdens."

"_S-Sonna_…" Sakuno said, a little offended by his words.

"It's true. I've also seen it in most of the movies in Shiraishi-_buchou_'s house. Guys fight over girls. Guys fight _for_ girls. A lot of them even die gruesome deaths trying to protect useless damsels in distress. Girls are nothing but mere burdens," Zaizen explained, seemingly not concerned about the impact of his words on the poor maiden.

Hearing his words, Sakuno frowned. She is not entirely sure of why he's saying such things, but it hit pretty close to home, what with her current situation.

"_A-Ano_. I probably don't understand, but that's not true. I'm sure-"

"_Nara_..." Zaizen cut off her speech with his cocky tone. The second year finally turned to look at the pretty brunette who was sitting on the bench beside him. "Why don't you prove me wrong?" He gave Sakuno a knowing look—his black eyes livelier than their usual aloof state. It was as if he was challenging her.

In more ways than one, he really is like Ryoma. Cocky, bratty, yet cool.

Sakuno stared back at the second year, a little confused about his words' true meaning. Zaizen is pretty much a stranger to her. In fact, this is the first time she has ever talked to him.

If that was the case, then why does she feel like the boy knows more about her situation than she does? No, it's more than that. It's as if he was giving her advice.

"_Ikou, _Ryuzaki."

A familiar voice suddenly said behind her, startling the brunette from her staring competition with Zaizen. The voice was shortly followed by the sight of its owner. Ryoma paused when he reached the bench Sakuno was sitting at. He gave Zaizen a short "_Sankyuu_" for staying with Sakuno.

"We're going now?" Sakuno uttered, standing up. Ryoma didn't waste time to give her an answer and just started to walk away.

"_D-demo_, Ryoma-kun…"

"_Oi! _Koshimae! How dare you run away in the middle of our match!" said another voice a few feet away. Sakuno looked at the path Ryoma just came from and found Kintarou running towards them. He was sweating heavily and waving a tennis racket in the air.

"Wait up, Koshimae! _Matte_!"

"Ryuzaki, let's go," Ryoma repeated, this time, a lot louder. When she still didn't move, Ryoma walked back to her and grabbed her hand. She was soon forcefully dragged away from the Shitenhouji players.

Kintarou continued to yell from behind them. Glancing behind, Sakuno saw Zaizen restraining Kin-chan from going after her and Ryoma. It was the last sight she saw of the Shitenhouji players before Ryoma led her to another street.

* * *

"You guys are not coming today?"

It's Saturday and Sakuno's working at the café. So far, this week had been one of the worst weeks in her life. There was the thing about her Kunimitsu-_nii_, Shiraishi's mysterious text messages, the fact that she almost got ran over by a huge truck yesterday, and just the pure stress of not knowing what really is going on.

She was unable to get answers from Ryoma yesterday. The prince seemed to be really pissed off after his "talk" with Kintarou. He was silent throughout their walk and didn't even bid her goodbye after he dropped her off at her house.

And now, she just found out from Kirihara over the phone that the Rikkai regulars are unable to make their usual Tokyo visit today. She was really looking forward to seeing them too.

"_Warui_. Sanada-_fukubuchou_ just had to schedule a practice today. It pissed us off," the junior ace complained from the other end of the line. The Rikkai tennis team normally doesn't have practice during Saturdays. Saturday is their day off and that is why Bunta and his teammates can usually visit Sakuno on this day. However, like Kirihara said, Sanada scheduled a sudden mandatory tennis practice.

"_S-sou_," Sakuno uttered gloomily as she wiped one of the tables in the shop. It's been a pretty slow day in the café. There are hardly any customers in the shop except for a middle-aged couple and an old woman sitting at a far corner.

Sakuno placed her cellphone next to her left ear as she moved to another table. Her phone was in between her shoulder and the side of her face. She had to hold it like that since she was using both of her arms to clean around the shop.

"Well, don't worry! Next week, you're going to see me twice. Remember? We're going out next Sunday too."

"_H-hai_…"

"Sa-chan…" Kirihara started worriedly, sensing her depressed mood. "_Aa!_ S_ou'__su yo!_"

Sakuno had to blink at his sudden excited mood. "_H-hai_, Akaya-kun?" She heard him let out a proud "hehe" from the other end of the line. She can almost imagine the arrogant, yet cute smirk that she usually sees on his face when he teases her.

"Remember when you told me you wanted to see that American band's concert? _Enn… Enn Singuuu_, was it?"

Sakuno almost sweat dropped at his pronunciation. It's not exactly a secret from the world that Kirihara Akaya—as great as he is in tennis—happens to suck when it comes to English.

"It's _En Sinku_ (N'SYNC), Akaya-kun."

"Yeah, same thing. Well, it's too bad I wasn't able to take you to their concert in Tokyo because Sanada-_fukubuchou_ caught me when I was trying to sneak away from practice. Man, I still remember how much the hits from his wooden sword stung!"

"H-hits?" Sakuno inquired worriedly. She knew about his plan to surprise her by taking her to the concert but she didn't know the part about Sanada's punishment.

"A-ah, I mean…Forget it! Anyway, back to our current topic. Listen well, Sa-chan, okay? I've got something for you."

"_Un_," Sakuno replied, nodding her head though she knows he wouldn't see anyway.

"Are you listening, Sa-chan?" Akaya asked again.

"_Hai_."

"Alright." She heard Kirihara clear his throat from the other side before he broke into something really unexpected. He started singing out loud in a really out of tune and broken voice.

"_Ooooooh, m-mai rabbbb~ My darling._

_I han- hunger for your touchhh-_ W-what the heck's so funny, Niou-_senpai_?"

She heard a couple of laughs in the background followed by the sound of an object hitting the wall. She thought she also heard Niou say "loser" amidst laughs, though she couldn't be sure.

"_N-nani?_ That wasn't a song by _Enn Singu_? But you gave me these lyrics and you said-! Niou-_senpai_!"

From the tone of his voice, Sakuno could already imagine what was happening on the other end of the line.

And she couldn't help it anymore. She laughed so hard that the few people in the café actually looked at her. She had to move to a more secluded section of the shop so she can control herself.

"_Hahahahah_. _Mou_, Akaya-kun. Really. _Hahahah_."

"_S-Sa-chan_! Not you too!" Kirihara exclaimed from the line, embarrassed that he failed to impress the brunette. As a matter of fact, his plan backfired in the worst way possible.

"_G-gomen_," she said in the middle of her giggles. "It's just too cute." She giggled more.

"And I practiced so many times too. 'Should've known never to take Niou-_senpai_'s help." Kirihara sighed, though somehow, he felt a lot better. He actually made Sakuno laugh and that was what he was aiming for in the first place. Well, he actually wanted to cheer her up by singing one of her favorite band's songs, but of course, Niou just had to ruin his brilliant plan.

"_Ah_, I wish I could see Sa-chan's smiling face," Kirihara suddenly mumbled.

"Hm, did you say something, Akaya-kun?" Sakuno asked. Because she was too busy giggling, she really didn't understand what the junior ace mumbled.

"N-nothing. I said Niou-_senpai_ is the worst _senpai_ in the world."

Sakuno couldn't help but smile. Kirihara had always managed to cheer her up even during the worst times. She really owes the boy a lot. She just hopes that she can return the favor as well.

"By the way, Sa-chan? Has anything happened recently?"

Sakuno blinked cutely. "Anything?"

"Yeah. Like, anything bad?" Kirihara asked with a concerned tone.

"N-not really. I'm okay." Sakuno hated lying but she didn't want to worry Kirihara needlessly. She really is okay, after all.

Kirihara sighed in relief. "Good. Make sure to walk home with someone tonight, alright? If no one can, just tell me, and I'll come to Tokyo just for 'ya."

"_Iie, iie_. There's no need for that! Tachibana-san will walk me and An-chan tonight like he usually does," the brunette quickly explained to assuage the junior ace's worries.

"Sweet. And you still have the lucky charm on you, right?"

"_H-hai_." This time, Sakuno didn't have to lie. She really is wearing the necklace Kirihara lent to her. Yesterday, she forgot to put it on, but she doesn't need to tell Kirihara that.

"Good girl. Wear it all the time." She can sense pride in Kirihara's boyish voice. "_A-ah! _I have to go. Sanada-_fukubuchou_ is calling us!"

The brunette had to smile once again. "_Hai_. _Arigatou_ for calling today, Akaya-kun. You really made my day better."

"Heh, it was nothing. Oh, and one more thing! Teddy bears or Pandas?"

"_E-eh?" _Sakuno blinked at his random question.

"Hurry! I don't have much time, Sa-chan!"

"T-teddy bears, I guess."

"So I guessed right. Good thing. Well, gotta go now. I'll text you later!"

The brunette heard a click followed by a dial tone. She was still smiling when she pushed the "end call" button on her cellphone. Kirihara really has a way to cheer her up. She felt way happier than she did at any time this week.

Sakuno walked back to the counter to resume her duties. Looking at the tables in the cafe, she found that the couple had left and only the old woman remained inside the shop. The old woman appeared to be leaving in a moment too since she was gathering her things on the table.

When the old woman finally stood and headed towards the door, Sakuno gave a respectful bow and a soft "_a__rigatou gozaimashita." _She immediately went to the old woman's table to start cleaning up.

That was when she saw a pink purse on one of the chairs. Sakuno realized that it must belong to the old woman. Grabbing the purse, she was half-way towards the door when An came out of the kitchen.

"Sakuno, I need your help inside. I think I baked one of the cakes wrong. It's bloating abnormally," the girl with the shoulder-length brown hair explained, tucking a strand of loose hair behind one of her ears. She looked really stressed about her creation.

Sakuno frowned at her friend. "_D-demo_, a customer left her bag. I have to give it back to her before she disappears from the area."

"_Daijobu,_" An said as she walked over to the braided girl and grabbed the purse from her hands. "I'll give it back to the customer and you take care of my mess inside. What was the customer like?"

"She's an old woman who's wearing a pink hat and a pink business suit. She went left."

"Got it!" An smiled at her before she went out the door. Sakuno watched her friend disappear before she went into the kitchen.

* * *

'An-chan did it properly, after all. The cake batter is supposed to rise like that so that it can be baked well.'

Sakuno took off her baking mittens and went to the sink to wash her hands. Imagine her surprise when a loud and frightening explosion suddenly shook the café building and made the brunette fall on the floor.

She shakily clutched one of the tables inside the kitchen to help her stand up.

'What was that?' she asked herself in confusion as she looked around the kitchen. Nothing seemed to have been really damaged except for a few pans that fell off the rack when the explosion happened. Not to mention, it sounded like it came from the outside.

Then the brunette clutched the front of her dress as she came to a horrible realization. '_Masaka!' _Her brown eyes widened in horror. She clumsily ran out of the kitchen, then outside of the café.

That's where she saw it—a scene so horrible that she was frenzied by fear and shock when the image finally registered in her mind.

A few feet down the pavement laid the seemingly lifeless body of Tachibana An. A bright, crimson pool of blood was surrounding her body.

"An… An-chan!"

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

I know, I'm horrible. Not only did I kill(?) An but I also haven't updated in weeks. What happened? Finals. That's what. Not to mention, I also didn't feel like writing for a while. I didn't have the inspiration. But here is the newest chapter. I promise that the next one would be up before the week is over to make up for not updating for a while.

I swear the KiriSaku scene in here was only supposed to take up a short space but I got carried away. Lol. Forgive me, RyoSaku lovers.

Please read and review. Reviews really make me happy. Until next time!

**Japanese Vocab:**

_Buchou_ – Captain

_Che_ – Ryoma's expression of annoyance

_Sonna_ – can be roughly translated to "Saying (horrible) things like that…"

_Nara_ – If that is the case

_Ikou_ – Let's go

_Demo_ – but

_Matte _– wait

_Warui_ – My bad; It's bad

_Sou_ – really

_Sou su yo_ – can be roughly translated to "talking about that" in bratty language

_Nani – _what

_Daijobu_ – It's okay; That's okay

_Masaka_ - It can't be


	22. Veritas Part 1

**XXII. Veritas ~Part One~**

A nice, gentle breeze blew among the _sakura_ trees surrounding Seishun Gakuen High. In the rear of the school, the previously busy tennis courts have now become deadly silent. The regulars were taking a break from their training.

"_Ahhhh_. Doesn't it feel good? We haven't had a serious practice like this in a while," Momo commented as he wiped sweat from his forehead using a white towel. Upon not hearing any reply from his present companion, he glanced sideways and found the boy spaced out yet again.

"_Oi_, Echizen. You've been absent-minded since we started practice. You're lucky you're naturally good at tennis or you would've suffered a couple of black eyes from getting hit with tennis balls. What's on your mind, huh?" Momo patted his _kouhai_'s shoulder.

Both regulars were heading to the locker room to change their sweat-drenched shirts. The rest of the team were already in there, probably drinking water and preparing for the second half of the practice.

Since the Saturday practice is exclusively for regulars, there weren't any first years around to pick up balls after practice. It just so happens that this Saturday was Momo's and Ryoma's turn to pick up balls. Hence, they lagged behind their teammates.

"_Betsu ni_," Ryoma curtly replied in his cool voice. It's a good thing Momo was used to it.

"Fine, fine. Don't tell your _senpai_." The second year paused from talking, as if trying to figure out how to phrase his next words.

"Listen, I know that things haven't been great recently. We have a lot of things in our hands. But just so you know, Echizen, if you ever need help in anything, I'll always be here to save your ass. That's what real _senpai_'s are for," the second year said with a sincere smile. It is one of those rare moments wherein the spiky-haired boy shows his brotherly side towards the younger boy. Out of all of the regulars, Momo really is the only one who acts like an older brother to Ryoma.

"Don't worry too much. We'll figure out something that can get us out of this mess. We always do. But of course, you'll have to tell me what's wrong first. I'm not psychic like Fuji-_senpai_, you know," Momo jokingly added to cover-up his recent display of kindness. It's very natural for guys to do that. After all, boys and the word "drama" should never ever be put in the same sentence.

The prince gave him a brief glance before focusing his eyes on their path again. Momo just shrugged it off. As mentioned earlier, he was used to the boy's silence and dismissive attitude. They were almost at the locker room when Ryoma suddenly spoke.

"_Sankyuu_."

Momo almost paused from walking when he heard the younger boy say that. The second year had often shown kindness to the prince but this is probably the first time the boy had thanked him in such a sincere tone. It was… touching.

The second year boy had to smile to himself before he returned to his "cool" façade. After all, it's nice to be appreciated sometimes—especially if it came from the aloof prince. With high spirits, he opened the door to the locker room and both boys stepped inside.

"By the way, want to get some burgers after practice? My trea-" Momo's words were cut off once he caught a sight of their teammates. They were huddled in a circle and looking at Inui who was talking on his cellphone at the far corner. All of them were wearing serious and grim expressions.

"_Wakatta_. We'll be there in a few minutes," the data man said in a humorless tone before he ended the call. The mere sight of the team was worrying both Ryoma and Momo.

"Hey, what's going on? You guys look like you just lost in a huge lottery or something." Momo attempted to flash a cheerful smile in an effort to calm his nerves and lighten up the atmosphere. The foreboding expressions of the regulars were starting to choke him.

Some of the team looked down while the others looked at Momo with a worried—sympathetic—expression. It was Inui who broke the shocking news to the newcomers.

"Momoshirou, Tachibana An had been seriously hurt. She's in a critical condition at the hospital."

The data man's words struck Momo like a thousand bricks. He literally froze on the spot.

It was the first time Ryoma had ever seen such a broken expression on his Momo-_senpai_'s face.

* * *

The Seigaku regulars dreaded what they were going to find at the hospital. Once they arrived at the place, a nurse guided them to a hallway intersecting emergency rooms. In there, they found two Fudomine regulars standing in stupor.

Shinji Ibu noticed the arrival of the Seigaku regulars first. It was also him who called Inui to inform the team of the current situation. He had been calling the Seigaku regulars for almost an hour before one of them finally picked up. Apparently, the team was training hard in the courts so they were unable to notice the calls they received in their cellphones.

Akira Kamio, on the other hand, seemed to not have noticed the arrival of the newcomers. The poor boy appeared to be in complete shock. He was simply staring at the closed doors of the emergency room with haunted eyes.

"How is she, Ibu?" Oishi asked the boy.

"She's still in the emergency room. Tachibana-san is in one of the doctor's office right now discussing her condition." Ibu paused and narrowed his eyes in concern. "It is probably best if you don't talk to him right now. Tachibana-san is…not quite himself at the moment."

Fuji nodded, his face still grim. "It is understandable."

"What…What happened?"

Everyone turned to look at the person who spoke in such a weak and strained voice. It was actually the first time Momo uttered words since he heard the horrible news. The regulars were initially concerned that he was going to have a nervous breakdown before they reach the hospital. Surprisingly, he held himself quite well.

"A bomb," Ibu replied. "It was in a purse an old woman left in the café An-chan works at. She was on her way to return the purse to the old woman when it exploded. The police inspector who investigated the scene commented that it was a good thing An-chan recognized the ticking before the explosion occurred. Because of that, she was able to throw it far enough to lessen the impact of the explosion. If not…" Ibu left off the comment there.

"I see," Oishi said, relieving the boy of telling them what he thought could've happened if An didn't hear the ticking.

"Ryuzaki _wa_?" Ryoma asked with apprehension apparent in his eyes though he tried to conceal it. He had been dying to inquire about the maiden ever since he entered the hospital. The moment he heard that An was hurt, he automatically suspected that it was the serial killer's doing. He saw Inui and Fuji exchange glances before they left the locker room. They probably suspected the same thing.

Ibu looked at Ryoma. "Oh, that girl… She came in the ambulance with An-chan and had been here ever since. She also appears to be quite shocked by the incident. Perhaps it is better if one of you guys take her home for now. The poor girl could use some rest. I believe she is sitting on one of the benches in the hallway next to ours."

Ryoma's first thought was to go and check if the brunette is okay. However, he also remembered his Momo-_senpai_. He needs a friend to stay with him. And since Momo has always been there for him in his time of need, he'll feel guilty if he just abandoned him at this moment.

The prince was surprised when he suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder. Looking sideways, he saw Momo give him a weak smile though the second year's face was completely devoid of the cheerfulness it usually has.

"Go. She needs you more right now," he kindly offered.

"Go _ochibi_! Go comfort Sakuno-chan, _nya_. We'll take care of Momo for you!" Eiji supported the second year's decision. The acrobat also gave the prince a smile and a thumbs up.

Ryoma couldn't help but give them a slight smirk in gratitude. He nodded and informed them that he would come back right away after he takes Sakuno home.

* * *

"So are we sure that Sanada has left the school premises already?" Marui Bunta asked as he glanced outside the window of the Rikkai meeting room. The window overlooked the tennis courts.

"We cannot guarantee that, but he did leave right after practice. He seemed to be in a hurry," Yagyuu replied from his place at the head of the table.

"And Akaya?" the volley specialist inquired again, finally turning to face his other teammates.

"He also left in a hurry. If I'm not mistaken, he plans to buy some sort of gift for Sakuno-chan today." It was Jackal who supplied the answer this time. By now, he has been updated about the "situation." Only Yukimura seemed to have no knowledge of what's been going on. The others did not want to bother him since the captain has been having health problems again recently.

"It's better that way," Yanagi commented beside Jackal. "I've been having a hard time keeping him from doing anything rash. He's restless when it comes to catching the murderer."

Bunta smiled and crossed his arms behind his head. He took a seat on the other side of Jackal. "So it is true when they say that you become more stupid when you're in-love."

The regulars' conversation was suddenly interrupted by a beeping noise that came from Yanagi's pocket. The data man excused himself from the rest of the team and attended to his cellphone. He spent a minute or so looking at its contents before he faced his teammates again.

"What's up?" Bunta asked curiously as Yanagi's face took on a bleaker expression. The data man took out a notebook and began writing furiously.

"Sadaharu sent me a text update. The sister of Fudomine's Tachibana Kippei has been hurt by a bomb explosion. It was left in a purse at the café she works at. She's still in a critical condition at the moment."

"_Nani_?" Bunta exclaimed in complete surprise. The other regulars were also looking at Yanagi with an incredulous expression.

"At that café…?" Bunta frowned as he looked down, immediately realizing that it was his favorite café. He suddenly remembered something and looked at Renji again. "And Sakuno-chan?"

"Sadaharu didn't mention anything about her. I think it's safe to assume that she is okay."

"'Probably shouldn't mention this to that seaweed-haired brat then. He will throw a hissy fit," a voice suddenly added as the door to the meeting room opened. In came the one-and-only, Masaharu Niou. Certified trickster. He took a seat on Yagyuu's left.

"I don't plan to. I also don't plan on telling him about the street commotion she was involved in yesterday," Yanagi replied as he finished writing.

Bunta fisted a hand and gritted his teeth. "This is too much. That bastard—whoever the heck he is—has gone too far."

The other regulars didn't say anything though they also agreed with the volley specialist. A tense silence suddenly filled the meeting room.

Yagyuu glanced at Niou. "You're late," he commented to fill in the awkward gap.

Niou, on the other hand, smirked. Yagyuu raised an eyebrow. He knows that smirk. If Niou smirks like that, it means that he has something up his sleeves.

"You gotta excuse me. I've been doing some 'research,'" Niou said in a suave tone. He pulled out a card from his breast pocket and flicked it off to Yanagi.

The data man caught the card in mid-air and looked at it curiously. There was an address written on it. Yanagi looked at Niou, expecting an explanation.

The Rikkai Dai trickster languidly leaned against his chair's headrest and started to explain. "Well, remember that gun that crook left behind at our last encounter? I secretly took it and just basically traced where it came from."

Yagyuu looked at his doubles partner in disapproval. "You hid that from us?"

Niou easily dismissed his partner's criticism. "Heh, yeah, but anyway. 'Took a long time to trace it since the maker of the gun was really an underground person. It's a good thing I have tons of connections. I finally found the maker last night and contacted him. After a handsome bribe, he agreed to talk. I just got an e-mail from him. He gave me that address. He said it's the address the customer who bought the gun left when he did business with him."

"At situations like this, you really are handy, huh, Niou?" Jackal commented with a smile, impressed by the trickster's craftiness.

"However, can we really trust this guy? What if he's setting us up for a trap?" Yagyuu reasoned out, ever the careful person of the group.

"That's why I plan to scout out the place first. Just to see what it's like," the trickster told the group.

"I'll go with you," Yagyuu offered.

"Me too," the volley specialist of the group added.

"Then Jackal and I shall stay here and act as back-up in case you guys need anything. Let's meet here again tomorrow morning to finalize our moves," Yanagi said, dismissing their meeting.

* * *

The hallway Sakuno was at had dim lighting and was devoid of people. She was sitting at the farthest bench next to a vending machine. Ryoma almost missed her since she was partly concealed by it.

He approached her quietly as to not startle her. The sight he saw up close was something that almost shook him. It was a sight he did not want to see.

The fragile girl had her head bowed and seemed immobile. She was staring at a tea cup she held in between her hands on top of her lap. She was still wearing the café's work uniform. The white apron on top of her black dress was smeared with patches of blood—most likely from An. Sitting there like that, Ryoma thought that she looked like a tragic angel.

Melancholy, dour, yet innocently gorgeous.

The hollow look on her eyes was definitely unlike her. It was different from the cheerful and smiling Sakuno he is used to. He wanted to snap her out of it.

"_Oi_."

Sakuno did not acknowledge that she heard the prince. Ryoma had to put a hand on her shoulder to make her notice him.

"Ryuzaki," he called again, this time giving her a gentle shake.

The brunette was startled by the sudden contact. She then slowly looked up at Ryoma. For a moment, it seemed as if she didn't recognize who he was.

"R-Ryoma…kun," she uttered in a soft voice, way weaker than her usual one.

Ryoma simply nodded. "Were you hurt?" he asked belatedly. Of course, he had to make sure first that she really didn't sustain any injuries.

For some reason, the question seemed to have sent a painful lash at the brunette. The look in her eyes changed into somewhere between torment and guilt. She quickly masked it with a fake smile once she realized that Ryoma was watching her.

"I am… okay," she replied in a semi-trembling voice. It tugged at Ryoma's heart and he gritted his teeth unconsciously.

"Come on. I'll take you home. Ryuzaki-_sensei_ is probably worried about you," he finally said, gently grabbing her arm to help her get up. Sakuno immediately protested.

"_D-Demo_, I can't leave An-chan…" she muttered and sent Ryoma an anguished look. Ryoma frowned in diaspproval.

"You're not doing her any good by staying here and tiring yourself out. You should rest for now."

_Burden._

_Isn't that what you are?_

"…"

"Ryuzaki, everybody wants you to go home and get some rest."

_A lot of them even die gruesome deaths trying to protect useless damsels in distress._

"…"

"Let's go," Ryoma said again, pulling her up.

This time, Sakuno didn't protest and lifelessly let Ryoma drag her out of the hospital.

* * *

Kirihara was speeding through streets.

'Out of all the times to forget my wallet,' he berated himself. And he finally had the money to buy Sakuno a present too. The junior ace forgot his wallet inside the Rikkai meeting room. He forgot that he took it out of his tennis bag during their training break a while ago.

He was almost at the gates of Rikkai Dai when his sharp eyes caught a familiar yellow and black jersey under one of the trees near the entrance. The person wearing the jersey was hidden by the tree's shadow. His back was facing Kirihara and he seemed to be talking on the phone.

As Kirihara got closer, he recognized who the person was.

Black cap.

Carrying a tennis bag on his back.

'It's Sanada-_fukubuchou_!' Kirihara raised an eyebrow as he pondered what their _fukubuchou_ was still doing in the school grounds. Practice ended an hour and a half ago.

'_Maa_, probably doing his weird school rounds again,' the junior ace thought dryly. He was going to walk up to him and say 'hey' when he heard some odd things from his _fukubuchou_.

"So your plan failed again. What happened?" Sanada inquired in a serious tone. He was silent for a minute or two as he listened to the other person's explanation.

"Hn."

More minutes of silence as Sanada continued to listen to the person from the other end of the line.

"It doesn't matter. Let me make a move this time."

Another pause.

"Tonight. I'll tell you how it goes tomorrow…_ Jya_."

Kirihara realized that Sanada was going to turn around any second so he quickly hid behind another tree. He didn't know why he was hiding but he felt like he was listening in to a private business. Plus, his Sanada-_fukubuchou_ would most likely _'Tarundoru_' and punish him again once he finds him eavesdropping.

The junior ace counted to three before he dared to peek around the tree. He let out a loud sigh of relief when he saw Sanada leaving the school grounds. The _fukubuchou_ fortunately failed to notice Kirihara's presence.

Watching Sanada's back as he walked away, Kirihara thought about what he heard just now.

'What the heck was that all about?'

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

My chapters seem to be getting longer and longer as the story progresses. Lol. So much things went on in this chapter, huh?

But we finally got a lead, thanks to Niou. It's probably obvious that he's one of my favorite characters. Lol. Anyway, but what's up with Sanada? And what's this about "tonight"? Find out in the next chapter (or maybe the next, next, depending on how it goes).

As usual, please read and review. Thank you so much to those who have ^o^

**Japanese Vocab:**

_Betsu ni_ – It's nothing

_Sankyuu_ – Thank you

_Wakatta_ – Understood

_Ryuzaki wa? _– What about Ryuzaki?

_Nani?_ – What?

_Demo_ – But

_Fukubuchou_ – vice captain

_Maa_ – Oh well

_Jya_ – Later; Talk to you later


	23. Veritas Part 2

**XXIII. Veritas ~Part Two~**

_Veritas. (Latin). truth_

* * *

Kirihara Akaya was preoccupied with thoughts as he entered the Rikkai Dai meeting room. There was something about what he just overheard from his _fukubuchou_ that was bothering him. He couldn't shake off the foreboding feeling that nagged at his guts.

The junior ace flicked on the light switch at the corner of the room and headed towards his locker. He grabbed his wallet and then closed the locker door quickly. Turning towards the door, he paused mid-step when an opened notebook in the middle of the meeting table caught his attention.

Curious, Kirihara walked over to inspect the object.

'It looks like Yanagi-_senpai_'s data notebook,' the junior ace thought. 'Though it's really unlike him to leave his data notebooks out like this. What's up with that guy?'

The boy was about to close the notebook and hide it somewhere safe when he noticed that there was a rectangular card inserted between the opened pages. Kirihara took the card and eyed it more closely. It looked like a hand-written business card to him. Though if that was really the case, then it is a weird business card since the name of the person was not written on it.

Only the address was on the card.

It was almost out of instinct, but he suddenly felt compelled to glance over the pages that the card was "bookmarking." At first glance, the contents of the page looked like the usual data that his Yanagi_-senpai_ collects—interesting events that occurred during the day. However, one particular name stood out from the mess of words that were scribbled on the pages.

_Ryuzaki Sakuno_.

The junior ace grabbed the notebook to read more of what his Yanagi-_senpai_ had written about the brunette.

As he scanned the information, his emerald eyes widened in alert.

_Yesterday, at approximately 3:00 pm… Ryuzaki Sakuno…street…almost run over by a truck…saved by Echizen Ryoma…perpetrator caught though he seemed to be only following the orders of an unknown person…serial-murderer possible suspect._

The boy felt his heart pump two powerful _thuds _as he absorbed the information. If only he didn't glance further down, he wouldn't have seen more data that would further upset him.

_Today, at about 4:00 pm…bomb explosion…purse left in the café…Tachibana An hurt…critical condition…serial-murderer possible suspect._

_**Thud, thud.**_

_**Thud, thud.**_

And to think that his Yanagi-_senpai_ didn't inform him about this right away. The data man perfectly knows that he's anxious about anything that concerns Sakuno, especially after they discovered that the killer was after her. He even asks Yanagi three times a day if he received any updates from Inui. Yanagi always told him that there were no developments yet, and that Sakuno was fine. _That liar_!

_**Thud, thud.**_

_**Thud, thud.**_

Feeling betrayed, Kirihara glanced at the next page to see what more his Yanagi-_senpai_ had been hiding from him.

_Possible lead… found by Niou… card… most likely the address of the serial killer… _

What? Didn't his Niou-_senpai_ tell him that the rest of the Rikkai regulars weren't going to do anything about the murderer since their _fukubuchou _forbade them to…? _What a bunch of liars_. All this time, they had kept him in the dark while they took all the glory of figuring out a way to catch the murderer.

_**Thud, thud.**_

_**Thud, thud.**_

Kirihara angrily threw the data notebook against the wall, the innocent notebook falling limply on the floor with a soft "_oomph_." The combined pressures of his inability to protect Sakuno, the betrayal of his _senpai-tachi_, and his obsessive desire to catch the murderer are dominating the mind of the poor boy—whispering dark and dangerous thoughts to him.

Panting heavily, the junior ace leaned against the table as he tried to control the fury that was quickly building up inside him. He looked at the address card that was lying on top of the table, a few inches from him. With malignant, blood-shot eyes, he grabbed the card and fled the meeting room in a flash.

If only he read further down the page of Yanagi's notebook, the junior ace would've seen the words "caution" and "possible trap" included in the very last sentence.

* * *

Night had fallen in Tokyo when Ryoma and Sakuno exited the hospital. Darkness eagerly awaited to consume the two as they started to walk away from the haven of the hospital's lights and into the gloomy streets of Tokyo.

The prince threw a sideways glance at the girl walking with him. She kept at least a foot distance from him, which was very unusual for the girl. In addition, she also never once looked at him nor attempted to start a conversation.

Ryoma was getting really worried. The poor maiden looked distressed and he hated it. He hated seeing her like that. He wanted to make it go away.

He would try to cheer her up but he realized that he royally sucked at it. Focusing on their path, the prince thought of what he can do. He was shaken out of his thoughts when he suddenly heard a dull _thud_ behind him.

Looking back, he was surprised to see the brunette on the ground. The poor girl had apparently tripped. Ryoma immediately went to her, intending to help her up.

"_Oi_! _Daijobu-_"

"It's my fault…" Her words acted like an invisible barrier that prevented the prince from coming closer. Confused, Ryoma kept his foot distance from the girl and simply watched her.

Sakuno did not move from her position. She was still kneeling on the ground, looking down, her bangs covering the expression on her face.

"It's my fault…" she repeated again, intense remorse evident on her soft voice. Her shoulders shook as the girl began to cry quietly. Her pitiful sight was making Ryoma's chest hurt.

"What are you saying?" he asked, not sure of what she's talking about.

"An…An-chan shouldn't have been hurt. I was the one who saw the purse….And yet… I… I let her do it… I should've been the one who's in the hospital right now. I should've been the one who should've been ki-"

"Stop it."

Her last words snapped something within Ryoma. The mere thought of her getting hurt was making his blood boil. And to think that she's talking about things like that—it's just… infuriating.

He bent on a knee and grabbed one of her arms firmly, trying to hoist the girl up.

"You're being stupid. You didn't know what would happen so stop blaming yourself senselessly."

Sakuno resisted against him.

"_D-Demo_-"

"It's not your fault."

"I was the one-"

"If you want to blame someone, blame that bastard who-" Ryoma paused, realizing that he might say too much. It was too late, however…Sakuno already saw the connection. The brunette looked at the prince with wide eyes.

"…So I was… I was really the target?" she asked Ryoma, tear stains visible on her angelic face.

Ryoma stiffened, unsure of how to answer the maiden.

"_Yappari ne_. Ryoma-kun knows what's really been going on." Sakuno bit her bottom lip—a pathetic attempt to prevent more tears from falling.

"Let's go home, it's getting late," the prince simply said, tugging her up.

He's doing it again. Avoiding her questions. Leaving her in the dark—confused, useless, only a burden.

_Isn't that what you are?_

_Nara…why don't you prove me wrong?_

That's right.

This time, she's not going to let that happen.

She needs to know what's going on.

Sakuno snatched her arm away from Ryoma. She looked up at him, determination in her eyes.

"Ryoma-kun…"

The prince stared at her, a little surprised by her defiance.

"_O-Onegai_… Please tell me the truth," Sakuno uttered, her trembling voice and her innocent eyes begging him.

The prince averted his own eyes from the brunette, unable to look at her anymore. He knew his defenses would crumble if he looked at her eyes a second longer.

And he can't let that happen.

"Ryoma-kun…" Sakuno called again, this time, with desperation in her voice. Unfortunately, the boy remained unmoved. He still didn't give her any answer.

She clenched her fist and sniffed quietly, willing herself to not cry again.

"_Atashi ne_… I… I trust Ryoma-kun with my life. So… please…" The brunette looked at him again with tears on her eyes. "Please… even just a little… please trust me too."

Ryoma couldn't take it any longer. He turned away from the girl, and then uttered in a detached voice:

"I don't know anything. We should hurry, I have other things to do."

That's right.

It's the only way.

He can't let himself be swept away by her pleading.

The prince's words completely broke the brunette's resolve. Straightening up, she somewhat had the crazy urge to laugh. Laugh at herself. Laugh at how pathetic she is.

It never worked, stupid.

She never had a connection with him. And yet, she always, always, stubbornly inserted herself in his life. Even though she never had a place in there in the first place.

Definitely stupid.

And as if to mock her by reminding her of that rainy night when she first felt the true pain of rejection, he said:

"_Warui naa_…" before starting to walk away again.

Oh how she _hates_ those words with every fiber of her being.

* * *

"So why'd you call us here, Fujiko?" Kikumaru Eiji asked as he plopped on Inui's living room sofa. The acrobat, Oishi, Kaidoh, Fuji, and Inui are presently gathered at the data man's apartment. They had left Taka and Momo at the hospital to provide support for the Fudomine team. That and Momo absolutely refused to leave the hospital until he is completely sure that An will be okay.

The prince, on the other hand, still hasn't gotten back from taking Sakuno home.

"Although I'd love to watch a movie, I don't think this is the right time, _nya_," Eiji commented as he watched the _tensai_ set-up his video camera in front of Inui's TV.

Fuji let out a soft chuckle. "Don't worry, I can guarantee you that what we're about to see is of the utmost importance to our current situation."

The data man and the _tensai_ have just recently told the rest of the Seigaku regulars about the crisis. They finally decided that it is an issue they cannot keep between themselves, especially since it's beginning to involve more and more people. That and they figured they needed their other teammates' help to solve the big mystery.

Oishi gave Fuji a look of confusion, silently asking the _tensai_ to explain more. Inui granted the _fukubuchou_'s wish.

"Fuji and I had set up hidden cameras inside and outside the café Ryuzaki-san works at. This was after the Rikkai regulars reported that the serial killer had stalked Ryuzaki-san's workplace."

The acrobat let out an expression of amazement. "_Sugoi nya!_ How did you guys manage to do that without being seen?"

Both Inui and Fuji gave him a creepy smile.

"Do you really want to know?" Fuji asked.

Eiji, Oishi, and Kaidoh paled upon hearing the _tensai_'s tone. They all shook their heads immediately.

"I thought so," Fuji said, giving them his gorgeous smile. He inserted a tape inside his camera and pressed the forward button. "This is a recording from the hidden camera inside the café from earlier today. The police said they never found that 'old woman' who left her purse. Well…" The _tensai _opened his eyes to flash them a cunning look from his sapphire eyes.

"I intend to see this 'old woman' myself," Fuji ended creepily. He finally pressed the play button when they saw an image of an old woman wearing a pink business suit on the screen.

* * *

Sakuno stood in front of the laundry room at her house. The brunette didn't realize that she had been clutching her bloody apron for a while now.

Ryoma dropped her off at her house about ten minutes ago. They didn't speak on the way home. There's no need to. They had nothing to talk about anymore.

She mechanically dropped her white apron in the laundry basket. When she made her way out of the room, she suddenly heard her ringing tone. She was bewildered at first, since she didn't know where it was coming from. Thinking back on where she last saw her cellphone, she remembered that she used it at the café right before…well, yeah.

If so, then…

'My apron.' The brunette went back to the room and grabbed her apron from the basket. She then fished out her ringing cellphone from one of the apron's pockets.

Sakuno looked at the caller ID.

It was Ryoma.

Frowning, she took a moment to decide whether she wanted to talk to him right now.

She finally decided to answer the call.

Even after everything, she still doesn't have the heart to refuse Ryoma.

"_Moshi moshi_."

No one spoke from the other line.

"_Moshi moshi_?" the brunette repeated again.

"Can you open the door? I'm outside," Ryoma spoke, though his voice seemed lower than usual.

"_D-Doushite_?" Sakuno couldn't help but ask. She really couldn't think of anything that Ryoma needs from her right now, especially after he took the time and effort to drop her off at her house just moments ago. Besides, it's already late at night.

Sakuno heard what sounded like "heh" from the other end of the line.

"You trust me, right?"

The brunette hesitated. Almost a minute passed before she gave him an answer.

"_Hai_. I'm coming now."

_How stupid. Even after everything…_

The brunette went to the door and wrapped a hand around the doorknob. She hesitated for the second time.

Closing her eyes, she resigned herself to a firm decision. She turned the knob and opened the door.

_What a stupid little girl_.

The confident face of Echizen Ryoma greeted her, his eyes displaying no whatsoever emotion. They stared at each other for a while before Ryoma turned his back on her and spoke.

"Come."

As usual, the brunette followed him obediently.

* * *

The Seigaku regulars crowded around the television to watch the recording closely. They watched the old woman's small and bent form sit at a corner area of the shop. They continued to watch her every movement for five minutes before Fuji paused and rewinded the tape.

"Did you guys see that?" The _tensai_ asked in an urgent tone.

"_Masaka_…" Inui uttered, staring at the recording intensely. Oishi and Kaidoh were also giving the recording an odd look.

Eiji blinked, looking at Fuji. "See what?" he asked, completely lost.

"Watch closely," Fuji told him and pressed play again.

This time, Eiji saw it. His eyes widened in shock as his eyes continued to be glued on the screen.

* * *

Ryoma led her to an old, deserted tennis court she was very familiar with. It was the place where she proposed to him. Where he rejected her. Where her nightmare occurred. Where she found him when he was missing. And now, this…

She vaguely wondered what type of memory she would make with him at this place, this time.

The area was completely dark save for a flickering light an old lamp post provided on the far end of court. Surrounding the tennis court was an abandoned park that harbored a small lake. The next closest house in the area was at least a mile away. It was a fairly isolated place and that was why Ryoma liked to practice there.

The prince stopped in the middle of the court, his back still facing her. Sakuno stopped a few feet behind him.

She waited for Ryoma to face her and say something. When he didn't, she began to ask:

"Ryoma-kun?"

Silence.

Sakuno frowned. Ryoma was starting to scare her.

"Ryo-"

"You wanted the truth, right?" the boy spoke in a deadly, cold tone—far more emotionless than he ever used on her.

The brunette was looking at him anxiously.

"Well… this is the truth," Ryoma continued as he finally turned to face her.

Sakuno saw the object's glint before she saw the full object—a polished, shiny metal gun that he pulled out of his jersey's breast pocket and pointed at her face. For the second time that week, her body was completely paralyzed.

The prince smirked at her reaction.

"Surprised?" he asked, still in that cold tone. "_Warui naa_…" Those darn words again. "I thought I could protect you but you started to become a big threat to us."

He walked closer to her, steadily pointing the gun at her head.

"I have to get rid of you before you remember certain _things_."

The brunette couldn't do anything but stare at the boy and his handsome face. She felt her legs weakening. This is just… she couldn't comprehend anything anymore.

_Ryoma-kun…_

"But for old time's sake, I will give you three seconds to run." Ryoma's eyes displayed some emotion she couldn't decipher because it flashed too quickly before they returned to their emotionless state again. "After that, I'm pulling the trigger."

_The person she trusts the most… _

"Run, Ryuzaki," he said.

_The person who always saved her from trouble…_

"One."

_The person who she trusts with her life…_

"Two."

Sakuno felt like running, but for some reason she couldn't. Probably because she's been frozen on the spot. Or perhaps… because she already gave up. The brunette simply refused to live in a world where Ryoma is someone who…

_The person she loves more than her own life…_

"Heh, _mada mada da ne, _Ryuzaki."

_Is a cold-blooded KILLER._

_**Boom.**_

He pulled the trigger._**  
**_

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Um, plot twist? XD Cliffie? Suspense? *Gets shot* x.x;

I still have a long way to go. Lol.

I'll try to squeeze in the next chapter sometime before this week is done (if I can). Until next time!

**Japanese Vocab:**

_Yappari ne_ – As I thought

_Nara_ – If that's the case

_Onegai_ – please

_Atashi ne_ – It's supposed to be really "_Watashi ne_" meaning "I…" or "talking about me…" but most feminine girls in Japan devoice the "W" sound

_Warui naa_ – My bad

_Sugoi nya_ – Amazing! Splendid! (the "nya" is, of course, Eiji-speak)

_Moshi Moshi_ – hello

_Doushite_ – Why?

_Mada mada da ne_ – (I think we all know what this means ^o^)


	24. Veritas Part 3

**XXIV. Veritas ~Part Three~**

Sakuno shut her eyes, preparing herself for the bullet's impact. She was stunned when all she felt was a gust of wind, then something cold…and wet.

_Wet?_

Wait a minute. She opened her brown eyes, totally confused. The first thing she saw was the gun—it was still pointed right at her face. Then she moved her gaze to the person who was holding it. Ryoma's pale and aristocratic face was also still looking at her.

The expression on his face, however, has changed. It was back to the usual laid-back and cool façade she was used to—not the cold and completely emotionless one she saw just moments ago.

"_Baka_," the prince castigated and pressed the gun's trigger one more time. Sakuno instinctively closed her eyes again, though she managed to reopen one just in time to see a thin blast of water shoot at her.

She blinked twice after, droplets of water trickling down her face as she tried to process what just happened. Unconsciously, she slumped on the ground, her legs finally giving out after the immense tension she just felt.

And just like that, the thick tension in the atmosphere suddenly disappeared.

"_Mattaku. _This is why I didn't want to tell you anything in the first place. You're too naïve to recognize danger even if it stared you right in the face," Ryoma said, looking at the girl who was gazing at the ground in stupor. "And if I involved you in this mess, you're more likely to be put in danger."

Of course. It was the main reason why Ryoma did not want to tell Sakuno anything about the murderer situation. Even though Inui advised him to help her realize what she witnessed on the night of _Tanabata_, he stubbornly disobeyed, thinking that he can manage to protect the girl and catch the murderer himself without involving her.

It's a hero's fallacy—partially blamable to the guys' natural tendency to protect girls from any kind of harm, sometimes even just mental harm. Though without really knowing it, they only cause more pain to their women by leaving them clueless and making them feel completely useless.

Sakuno soon looked up and shifted her gaze to the gun Ryoma was still holding. The prince followed her line of vision and decided to explain before she gets even more freaked out.

"It's just a toy." He pointed the gun up and pressed the trigger. A trickle of water shot up from the muzzle and cascaded down like a mini-fountain. "_Oyaji_ had given it to me a while back when the news about the serial murderer first spread. He said it can be used as a prop to scare the criminal, in case I met him and needed to buy time to run away." Ryoma crouched down so he can be eye-level with the girl. "I thought it was useless though. Only a fool would believe that it's real."

His misdirected insult cut through the brunette like a sharp knife and Ryoma's twisted sense of humor suddenly sank to her.

"I-isn't this too mean? To be playing around like this…" she began, a raw look of pain in her brown eyes.

"It's not just for the sake of playing around," Ryoma corrected, raising his voice, and suddenly feeling the need to fully explain himself to the girl. His eyes hardened and he averted his gaze from her. "A situation like that could happen and when it does, you can't just stand around stupidly, like you did, and wait to be killed." He straightened up and shoved a hand inside his shorts' pocket. "Reality can be harsh. And sometimes, people are not who you think they are. That's why you should never let your guard down."

'Great, I just sounded like Tezuka-_buchou,_' the prince thought, mentally grimacing.

He was indeed simply trying to prove a point. In their current situation—wherein a close friend or an acquaintance can possibly be the murderer (or murderers)—they need to be prepared. Ryoma suspected that Sakuno would leave herself completely defenseless if a situation like that came up. Her reaction moments ago just proved his suspicion.

The girl is too trusting and can be really naïve sometimes.

A period of silence was observed between the two as neither one of them knew what to say next. Before long, soft sniffling sounds began to fill the court. Alarmed, Ryoma quickly turned his head to check on the maiden.

"_O-oi_. _Doushita_?" he asked.

Okay, so maybe she has the right to cry. Especially after what Ryoma just did. The prince should really try to be more considerate from time to time. But then again, that wouldn't be like Ryoma. He has his own ways of showing affection.

"Be-because… I really thought that Ryoma-kun was…" Sakuno explained, trying to stop the fall of her tears with her dress sleeves. "…that Ryoma-kun was…" the brunette tried to continue but sobs muffled the rest of her words.

Looking at the girl cry on the ground like that, Ryoma was reminded of the countless times he had seen the girl in the same position—like when she got lost, when she got bullied, when she lost her first tennis match months ago, when she was begging him to tell the truth…

She always looked so fragile.

Normally, he wouldn't be okay with it. It's too stressful to shoulder the responsibility of always taking care of this damsel in distress who attracts trouble like a magnet. _But for some reason…_

The prince started to feel the familiar fuzzy and warm feeling in his chest—something that he still fails to identify no matter how many times he has felt it.

_For some reason…_

"_Daijobu_," Ryoma said, stepping forward to close the small distance between them.

_He's okay with it_.

The prince extended a hand towards her.

_It's okay. As long as…_

"I'll protect you no matter what," he continued, his gorgeous yellow eyes trained on her. "It'll be okay. So stop crying already, alright?"

Yes, just like the old days. He had always been there to save her from the troubles she managed to get herself into. This time shouldn't be any different.

Sakuno stared back at the prince, captivated by his hypnotizing gaze.

Thank goodness.

Thank goodness he's back to normal.

This _is_ the Ryoma-kun she knows and loves.

Wiping the remaining tears from her eyes, she gladly accepted his hand.

_As long as they continue to have each other… it will be okay._

* * *

"_Uwah_! Did she just…? She just…! That is _sooo_ creepy," Eiji exclaimed, shock and bewilderment apparent on his lively voice.

The other Seigaku regulars silently agreed with the acrobat. Fuji rewinded the tape back to the spot that caught their attention.

Unwillingly, they all watched the same scene play again.

In the middle of the screen was Sakuno. She appeared to be simultaneously talking on the phone and wiping a table. Then something from her phone conversation suddenly made her angelic face light up in a pleasant laugh. After that, they saw her move away from the scope of the camera to an unseen corner on the left. Sometime after Sakuno disappeared, they also saw a middle-aged couple casually walk out of the shop.

On the upper right corner of the screen was the old woman they had been observing. Her face was mostly covered by the huge, pink hat she wore but they all saw her turn her head from time to time. She followed Sakuno's every movement. The old woman continued to stare at the area Sakuno disappeared to for at least a minute or so, before she performed the creepy act that had surprised the regulars.

In a blink of an eye, the previously hunched back of the old woman suddenly straightened up—as if the old woman was morphing into some kind of a monster—and then she cracked her neck. Her stiff and ungraceful movements indicated that the old woman was really male—a male in disguise to be more precise.

"Could this person be… the serial killer?" Kaidoh asked in his deep tone, serious as ever.

"Most likely," Inui answered.

"But…but… Sakuno-chan didn't see what she—he—it—just did?" The acrobat's eyes were as wide as saucers as he turned to the rest of his teammates for an answer.

"She had her back turned to the old woman when she moved to the corner, remember? Maybe she stayed in that position the entire time until she came back," Oishi reasoned out.

Inui noticed that the _tensai_ had remained quiet ever since they watched the scene get replayed for the third time. The _tensai_ was staring at the screen with opened eyes, absorbed in deep thoughts.

"What's the matter, Fuji?" the data man asked. He can never really tell what the _tensai_ is thinking, especially when he opens his eyes like that.

Fuji didn't give him an answer. He remained quiet and completely distracted by his own thoughts.

"Disguise…"

It was the only word the regulars heard the _tensai_ mutter before he remained quiet again.

* * *

Sakuno tightly clutched the back of Ryoma's Seigaku jersey as she followed him through a dark path. Ryoma told her that he wanted to show her something, so they exited the old tennis court and entered the abandoned park that was close to it.

Unlike before when he said "come" in a cold and emotionless voice at her doorstep, she wasn't scared anymore—even though the area they were passing through was completed shrouded in darkness.

She was just glad to have confirmed that Ryoma wasn't really a criminal and that he was on her side. That was more than enough to drive her worries away.

"We're almost there," Ryoma informed the girl as he continued to lead her through a multitude of trees. In a short while, she saw tell-tale signs of a bright illumination straight ahead of them. She wasn't able to take her eyes off the sight until they reached the clearing.

From that point on, she was completely mesmerized by the breath-taking sight in front of her.

A hundred of fireflies surrounded the area, lighting up the small lake in a bright mixture of yellow and green. They drove away the darkness that clouded the place—the pitch black of the park only serving to accentuate the burning lights of the fireflies.

The place seemed surreal and mystical to Sakuno. It was… astoundingly beautiful.

She stared in awe as she continued to be enchanted by the dancing fireflies surrounding her and Ryoma. Unconsciously, she detached herself from the prince and stepped forward—making her way to the illuminated lake.

The fireflies moved to cluster around Sakuno, acting as if they were a bunch of loyal armies giving their utmost respect to their princess. When a lone and tiny firefly flew closer to the girl, she gently held up a hand to let the small creature settle on her palm. It seemed to trust Sakuno as it decided to rest its wings and descend to the brunette's delicate hand.

Sakuno gave the small firefly one of her most heart-warming smiles as she looked at it.

Standing a few feet behind, Ryoma was also captivated. Not by the beautiful scenery, however—more like captivated by the maiden. He looked at her, his yellow eyes softening slightly when he saw her smile.

He was glad to know that, for once, _he_ managed to bring a smile—instead of tears—to her face.

"_Suki_?" he asked the girl.

His sudden question broke the girl's enchantment and reminded Sakuno that the prince was with her. Turning around to face him, words seemed to be unnecessary as the delight on her face clearly showed that she liked—no—_loved_ the place.

"_Hai_," Sakuno replied, nodding her head as she directed her cute smile at him.

"I accidentally found this place almost two years ago," he informed her and he saw Sakuno nod in understanding.

"It's my birthday present to you," the prince added, his cheeks starting to flush. This confused the brunette.

"_E-eh? Demo_, my birthday is on January-" she kindly explained, frowning.

"And my White Day present," the prince continued. "_Soushite_… my New Year's Day present."

Now Sakuno's completely lost. Just what does he mean by that?

"I just…" Ryoma turned his head to the side, suddenly finding the grass beside his shoes fascinating. "I just didn't…" He gritted his teeth, hating himself for his inability to talk properly at the moment. It was embarrassing and really unlike him.

He tilted his cap downwards to hide the redness of his face and finally spoke in a clear and confident voice. "My point is…that sometimes, even I am _mada mada da ne_. _Dakara_…" His voice became softer, yet remained low—as if he was huskily whispering his last words. "Have some more patience with me."

Sakuno stared at him, touched by his words. It probably took a lot of effort for the prince to admit that even he has weaknesses. And to ask her to have more patience with him like that? Could he maybe…be apologizing? Or maybe implying something else?

"_S-sou_," was all the brunette could mutter as she, too, blushed a pretty shade of pink. "Then…why did Ryoma-kun decide to show it to me now?" she wondered more to herself, though she unconsciously said it out loud.

"It's to prove you wrong," the prince immediately replied, back to his confident and aloof tone.

Again, his answer puzzled the brunette. Ryoma looked back at her and stared her in the eyes—as if backing up his statement by trying to show her how serious he is.

"I do trust you."

It's amazing how his four simple words managed to make her heart skip a beat.

And so, the prince told her the truth—the real truth about the murderer situation. He told her everything he knew so far—everything his Inui-_senpai_ had told him, how he was able to find her on the day she was scheduled to meet Shiraishi, and even his conversation with Kintarou.

It was a small step forward, but it definitely strengthened the bond between the two.

* * *

Kirihara was dead tired.

The address written on the card led him to an abandoned wooded area somewhere between Kanagawa and Tokyo. He had been wandering aimlessly around the place for what seemed like hours until he finally spotted something worthy of investigating.

He found a small hut standing suspiciously right beside a dangerous high cliff.

Leaning against a tree that stood a few feet from the small abode, he carefully observed the dwelling. His muscles tensed in alert when a faint light suddenly illuminated the inside of the hut. From the way the light was wavering, he deduced that a candle had probably been lit.

The big question is… by who?

He sought the cover of another tree's shadow in order to get a better look of the place. From his new spot, he had a perfect view of the abode's window. Though the window was closed, its thin plywood enabled him to at least see the outlines of the objects inside the house.

Staring at the rectangular frame, he made out the projected outline of a table. In the middle of it stood the candle with its fairly intense light.

Goosebumps crawled along his arms when a sudden outline of something that looked human crossed the window in a flash.

The junior ace had to blink and shake his head in order to make sure that he wasn't just imagining things. He waited two or three minutes to see if the figure would cross again, but it didn't.

Clenching his fist, he decided that he might as well apprehend the person inside. It's now or never.

After all, who else could it be but the serial murderer? Only a lunatic would be in a place like this at this time of the night. Besides, his Niou-_senpai_ is rarely wrong. As much as he is pissed at the trickster for his betrayal, he still had a lot of faith in his _senpai_.

Kirihara stealthily crossed the distance between himself and the hut in a matter of seconds. He stopped right beside what appeared to be the door of the abode. Surprisingly, it was left opened.

Inching closer to the opening of the door, he heard his heart's loud beats as he tried to formulate a plan of attack. The boy braved to sneak a glance inside. His quick check confirmed that there was indeed a person inside the hut. From what he saw, the person's back was also turned towards him so he wasn't able to detect Kirihara.

_Score!_

Empowered by this discovery, he looked inside again for the second time. This time, longer. He was about to hide again, but what he saw during his second check immobilized his entire body.

The person…

The person inside the hut turned out to be someone he was very familiar with…

It was a person who he sees almost every day.

Staring at the man in shock, Kirihara was in a temporary state of denial. But the definite yellow and black jersey the man was wearing, plus the unmistakable black cap on his head, rebutted him.

There was no mistaking it.

His Sanada-_fukubuchou_ was really inside the hut.

The vice captain was sitting on a chair at the corner, holding a white wig and pink garments. Beside his feet laid a huge pink hat.

"Sanada-…_fukubuchou_…" the junior ace thoughtlessly said out loud, still staring at the man in shock. The poor boy was obviously overwhelmed by his new discovery.

Sanada immediately stood in alarm upon hearing Kirihara's voice. His frightening eyes widened in shock for a split second when he turned to face Kirihara, before they hardened and narrowed in fury.

"Akaya, what the heck are you doing here?" his deep voice roared within the hut.

The junior ace sent him a look that was somewhere between anger, disbelief, and hurt. Out of all the people… Out of all the people who he can find in the hut… it just had to be his _fukubuchou_…

Someone he looked up to.

Someone he trusted.

_Well, screw trusting!_

Apparently, he is unable to trust anyone in this twisted world. _They are all a bunch of liars_—_a bunch of two-faced liars._

"So, you're the serial killer?" Kirihara uttered in a hair-raising monotone, completely out of himself by then.

The junior ace clenched his fist so tightly that his nails dug into the palm of his hand. Trails of warm blood traveled down his fist, then fell on the ground drop by drop.

"You're the one who's been trying to hurt Sa-_chan_?" he continued as he walked closer to the vice captain.

Sanada sent him a guarded look, silently debating how to handle the situation.

"Akaya, get out of here now before-"

"SHUT UP!" Kirihara suddenly shouted as he rushed forward and grabbed a hold of Sanada's shirt.

"And to think that you always acted so high and mighty! Well, I'll never forgive you, I'll never forgive you… I WON'T EVER FORGIVE YOU!"

"Akaya, listen to me-" Sanada tried again, but to no avail. The blood-shot demonic eyes of his _kouhai_ were evidence that he is beyond reason at the moment.

The two tennis players wrestled against each other, crashing against the scant furniture inside the abode.

Then without any warning…

The candle light on top of the table was suddenly blown out.

_Bang, bang_, _bang, bang_.

Four successive rounds of gunshot were fired.

_And then… silence_.

Whatever happened inside the hut from that point on remains a mystery.

* * *

Inside the Ryuzaki residence, Sakuno's forgotten cellphone flashed with an alert. It had received a new text.

The message said:

**_Don't worry, Sa-chan.  
I'll make everything alright again.  
So wait for me, 'kay?_**

**_Be safe until I get back._**

**_-Akaya_**

It was a message that was sent two hours ago. A message that remained unread.

Later on, the brunette would immensely regret that she was unable to reply immediately to this text message—the last text message she'll ever receive from Kirihara Akaya...

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

About the Ryoma-as-a-killer situation… I apologize about that. Like most of you, I (honestly) also wanted Ryoma to be a killer. It would be a super interesting plot twist. However, it was already too late when I thought about that idea. I had planned the whole story from beginning to end and every single hint that I dropped in the story has a purpose. Unfortunately, they don't fit with the situation of Ryoma as an actual killer. I know, 'cause I looked back, and tried to see if it will work, but it didn't, so yeah…

Again, I apologize, though I was glad to hear the "what the heck…" comments from you guys. I'll try to upload the next chapter as soon as I can so please leave me a review!

Until next time!

**Japanese Vocab:**

_Baka_ – stupid; idiot

_Mattaku_ – (expression of exasperation)

_Oyaji_ – father

_Daijobu_ – It'll be okay; It's okay

_Suki?_ – Do you like it?

_Soushite_ – and then

_Dakara_ – That's why


	25. Dilemma

**XXV. Dilemma**

_Dilemma. (noun)_

_A situation requiring a choice between two equally undesirable alternatives._

* * *

Sunday, 7:55 am

"_Doushita_, Yanagi?" Jackal asked as he saw the data man pause in front of the door. They just entered the school grounds and are now in the hallway of the meeting room building. He saw Yanagi frown before giving him an answer.

"Something's wrong," the data man simply said before he turned the knob of the door and entered the room. He didn't use his key.

"_Woah_. The door's unlocked?" Bunta asked from behind as he followed Yanagi inside. The rest of the regulars—Jackal, Niou, and Yagyuu—immediately followed them as well.

"Not only that, the light was left on too. I clearly remember turning it off before we left yesterday," Yagyuu added, flicking off the light switch. The morning light shining through the windows provided enough lighting for them.

Yanagi quickly went to his locker and opened it. Just like he suspected, one of his belongings was gone. "It's not here."

Bunta walked over to the data man, curious. "Don't tell me-"

"If you're looking for your notebook, then I believe I found it," Niou interrupted as he picked up a fallen notebook resting against the back wall. That was when the illusionist noticed something. He thumbed through the pages and even shook the notebook upside down to check for a certain thing.

"_Ne_, Yanagi. Didn't you put the address card inside the notebook last night?" the trickster asked, his quick brain immediately processing what most likely went on inside the room.

"Yes, that is correct."

Niou's eyes sharpened. "Well, what do you know, looks like some nosy information thieves visited our room."

The data man simply stared at his teammate, having also arrived at the same conclusion.

On the left side of the meeting table, Jackal was busy eying a particular object that was carelessly left on top of one of the chairs.

"I think I know who," Jackal said in a grim tone as he picked up a wallet.

"That is…" Bunta began, his violet eyes widening in recognition. "Isn't that Akaya's wallet?"

Niou looked from the wallet in Jackal's hand and back to the notebook that he found slumped against the wall a while ago. He immediately put two and two together.

"_Masaka_…" the trickster uttered as he suddenly pulled out his phone from his breast pocket and dialed a number. He cursed when his call didn't go through and automatically just went to voicemail.

"Akaya found out about the lead?" Yagyuu asked, though it came out more as a statement than a question.

Niou simply nodded. "His phone is off. I can't contact him."

"_Oi_. Don't tell me he went to check out the place alone. That's stupidly dangerous," Bunta said, running a hand through his hair in agitation.

"That's Akaya for you," the trickster dryly commented.

"We must hurry, we need to find him before it's too late," Yanagi announced in front of the room, acting as the leader of the group.

"Then we'll go scout out the place just as planned, but our priority will be to locate Akaya. That is the place where he most likely went to, anyway," the gentleman tennis player reasoned out. "Do you still have the address somewhere in your e-mail, Niou-kun?" he asked his doubles partner who gave him a nod.

The data man nodded at the group, liking Yagyuu's proposition. "Good. I leave that to you guys then. Meanwhile, Jackal and I will go to his house and around Kanagawa to check. Call us immediately if you find anything."

"_Ryoukai_," was their reply before the three regulars dashed out of the room.

Left inside, Yanagi turned to Jackal. "Call Genichirou."

The dark-skinned tennis player looked at the data man, silently debating whether he heard him correctly or not. "Are you sure?"

Yanagi gave him a confident nod. "He might know something."

* * *

12:08 pm.

Ryoma yawned as he entered his Inui -_senpai_'s apartment. He just got informed by Fuji an hour ago that the regulars had planned a meeting this morning to this discuss their current "situation." And since he wasn't able to return to the team because he spent most of the night with Sakuno, he decided that it is important for him to learn any new developments that the team might have recently discovered.

The prince raised an eyebrow when he didn't find anyone else in Inui's living room. He actually thought that they had already started the meeting considering that he was more than half an hour late. The meeting was supposed to start at 11:30.

He turned around and looked at his Inui-_senpai_ to ask what's up. Only then did he notice that his Inui-_senpai_ had that morose look again. Ryoma mentally grimaced, preparing himself for more bad news.

"Renji informed me twenty-seven minutes ago that their teammate, Kirihara Akaya, had gone missing. Everyone's out right now helping to look for him."

The prince's eyes shifted, before it hardened to a serious expression. Hearing the junior ace's name, he immediately thought of Sakuno and how this news will affect her.

As if the data man was able to accurately follow the prince's train of thought, he asked: "Where is Ryuzaki-san?"

"At home, sleeping," Ryoma replied. He had indeed passed by her house right before he went to his _senpai_'s apartment. When he knocked on her door, it was Ryuzaki-_sensei_ who answered. The old coach told him that her granddaughter was still in bed and fast asleep. When she asked whether Ryoma wanted her to wake Sakuno up or not, the prince immediately answered in the negative and told her that he would just come back later.

"Good," was the data man's simple comment.

Ryoma sent him a guarded look. "Why?"

Inui didn't immediately reply. He walked pass Ryoma and gestured to the couch that was in front of him.

"Sit," the data specialist ordered with a heavy tone. "I think it's wise if I inform you about a hunch of mine."

* * *

2:32 pm.

Kuwahara Jackal absent-mindedly listened to the barely audible footsteps of Sanada Genichirou as they cruised along a semi-busy street of Tokyo. He easily tuned out the noisy chatters coming from the people they passed. The dark-skinned player focused on observing his companion's every facial expression.

At first glance, one can only see the infamous straight face that the _fukubuchou_ usually had on. After all, Sanada usually has only one expression—a stern one. That superficial mask cannot fool Jackal, however. He had known Sanada for many years and had even spent most of his days playing tennis with the serious guy. Jackal _can_ tell when something is bothering Sanada. And right now, something definitely is.

The veiled chagrin that constantly haunted Sanada's eyes was proof of that.

Jackal shifted his gaze to the bandage that adorned the vice captain's forehead. It wrapped around near the top of his head like a mocking crown and was barely visible since it was partly hidden by Sanada's black cap. Below the bandage, on the _fukubuchou_'s right cheek, a huge bruise was just turning light purple. Under that bruised cheek were two medium-sized gauzes. They were plastered on his neck like blunt tattoos.

All in all, the vice captain looked like he just went through hell. And now, he was more suspicious than ever.

When they asked Sanada to meet them a few hours ago, Yanagi and Jackal were surprised to see the beaten-up state of the_ fukubuchou_'s face. He didn't have those injuries at their practice the day before. It can only mean that he got them sometime between when they parted late in the afternoon and this morning.

Jackal was ready to fire questions at Sanada but Yanagi silenced him by placing a hand on his shoulder. The data man gave him a "trust me" look before casually informing Sanada that Kirihara was missing and that they found out from Kirihara's mom that the junior ace didn't come home last night.

The dark-skinned player's suspicion rose when Sanada didn't display any shock nor concern when he heard the news. He didn't even ask for further details and automatically just said that he'd help find him. When asked if he had any idea of where Kirihara might have gone or can be found, the _fukubuchou_ firmly answered in the negative.

It unsettled Jackal and he had no idea why Yanagi refused to just directly interrogate Sanada. They both know that the vice captain was obviously hiding something from them.

However, Jackal can also tell that Yanagi knew what he was doing. There was this controlled expression on the data man's face—as if he knew exactly what was happening. Because of that, Jackal opted to trust Yanagi for now. Hopefully, his trust was not misplaced.

At around 10 am, they received a call from Bunta. The redhead informed Renji that they did not find Kirihara anywhere near the address written on the card. All they found was a freshly burnt down hut that was near a cliff—something they found certainly suspicious. Niou and Yagyuu scoured the area for any clues of what might have been in the hut though found nothing but ashes.

The bad news? They were fairly positive that Kirihara had been in the area since Yagyuu found footprints that were roughly the size of Kirihara's feet under a tree that was located near the burnt hut. The prints also had the unmistakable embossed impressions of the soles of Kirihara's tennis shoes.

The good news? They didn't find any body nor bones around the area which could imply that Kirihara is still alive or that he was simply somewhere else.

This gave the Rikkai regulars hope. Perhaps it was not too late to save their youngest member, after all.

At around 11:30, Yanagi decided to ask the Seigaku regulars for help. It was an excellent idea because aside from Kanagawa, the only other city that Kirihara frequented was Tokyo. In this new turn of events, Sanada, once again, surprised them by volunteering to help search for the junior ace in Tokyo. It was another suspicious move.

Yanagi had a skeptical expression when he heard the suggestion at first, but after a few moments of silent deliberation, he finally agreed. The data man wanted Sanada to take Jackal along with him, however. He reasoned out that Jackal knows Kirihara's hang-outs more than Sanada does. Before the two left, Yanagi had pulled Jackal aside and specifically instructed him to watch Sanada's every move and to report to him.

Those events are what basically brought the two Rikkai regulars in one of the numerous streets of Tokyo.

Presently, Sanada paused in his steps as he and Jackal reached a street corner. On the residential street in front of them, a teenage boy wearing a Seigaku regular uniform stood in a poised manner as he stared at a house in front of him. He appeared to have no whatsoever interest in ringing the doorbell of the residence nor knocking on the door. The boy was simply staring at the house, lost in thought.

After about a minute, the boy walked away without another glance. He soon disappeared from the Rikkai regulars' sight as he turned a corner.

If not for a distinct article of clothing that the boy was wearing, Sanada and Jackal would not have been able to identify the regular. But the familiar white cap that covered his head told them that the boy was indeed Echizen Ryoma.

As soon as Ryoma disappeared from their view, Sanada headed to the place the prince was just standing at moments ago. The _fukubuchou _glanced at the name plate of the house Ryoma was staring at.

It displayed the last name "Ryuzaki."

Jackal soon approached Sanada and was about to ask what the heck he was doing when Sanada walked towards the house and rang the doorbell.

* * *

The repeated chimes of the doorbell woke up Sakuno from her deep sleep. She had such an eventful day yesterday that her body was now completely sore and aching. She was so tired when Ryoma dropped her at her place last night that she was unable to do anything else but take a quick shower before passing out on her bed.

Groggily, the brunette slowly sat up and rubbed her eyes. She felt a dull headache come on as she tried to orient her brain to her surroundings. Her headache intensified when recent events played back in her mind as she remembered everything that happened yesterday.

_An's lifeless body on the ground._

_The bomb. _

_Hospital. _

_Ryoma pointing a gun at her. _

_Fireflies. _

_Then… the truth._

The truth was probably the thing that burdened her the most. No wonder… No wonder she always felt so guilty. She had always felt like she's the real cause of everything bad that had happened recently.

Well, now she knows that it is because she _is_ the cause. It's because of her that An got hurt. It's because of her that people around her are now in danger. If only she could remember whatever it was that she witnessed on that night…

But that's not the end of the problem… there are also suspects! The suspects are… The suspects are…

Cradling her head, she forced herself to blank out everything for now as that train of thought led her to a brain-splitting migraine. When the pain somewhat subsided, she turned her head to check the time at her bedside clock.

2:41 pm.

Sakuno's body immediately jolted when she realized that it was already _that_ late in the afternoon.

And she had a plan to visit An with Ryoma early that morning too! How stupid of her to forget to set her alarm. Now what will she do?

Another ring from the doorbell reminded the girl that she had a visitor on her doorsteps. It was probably Ryoma. She briefly wondered why her _baa-chan_ was not opening the door to let him in, but she soon remembered that her _baa-chan_'s Sunday job started at around 1 pm.

Rushing to the bathroom across her room, she grabbed a towel and a change of clothes. Sakuno was able to magically do her toiletries in a flash. In about five minutes, she was already rushing down the stairs and heading towards the door.

When she reached it, she turned the knob and instantly muttered an apology. "_Gomen_, Ryoma-kun, I thought I-"

Her brown eyes widened considerably when the eyes that greeted her back were not the familiar yellow ones that she was expecting. Instead, stern grayish brown eyes stared back at her.

The brunette remained paralyzed under the terrifying gaze for a few seconds before a friendlier voice snapped her out of it.

"Sakuno-_chan_, sorry to intrude," Jackal started with a smile. He sent Sanada a look of disapproval as he was obviously opposed to the idea of bothering the petite brunette with their current problem. They had already learned from Inui (who told Yanagi) that Kirihara's last contact with the brunette was yesterday afternoon before the bombing at the café. Thus, it's useless to ask her again whether or not she knows about the whereabouts of Kirihara.

Not to mention, Jackal knows how close his _kouhai_ is to this girl. If she found out that the junior ace was missing…

Looking back at Sakuno, he suddenly noticed that she looked paler than usual. "Is this a bad time? You look sick, Sakuno-chan," he said with a concerned voice. Jackal—like the rest of the Rikkai regulars with the exception of Yukimura and Sanada—was also pretty close to the girl. Like his teammates, he had also grown attached to the girl's warm personality. But his attachment to the girl was also partly influenced by Bunta's and Kirihara's obvious affections for the brunette. They talk about Sakuno too much that even Yukimura now knows that Sakuno is an excellent cook, a cute little bunny, and so many other flowery and adorable things that made Sanada cringe from time to time.

Sakuno forced a smile on her face and shook her dainty little head gently. "_Iie_, I am perfectly fine, Kuwahara-san. Do you guys want to enter? I can make you some tea while-"

"Akaya has been missing since last night," was the sharp reply that cut off Sakuno's polite invitation. It was presented in a very detached manner that its coldness had the effect of knocking the wind out of the brunette.

'_Akaya-kun… is missing…?__'_

She just witnessed a horrible thing happening to another close friend of hers yesterday...And now, this...

_'Masaka...'_

Thoughts of the murderer getting his hands on the boy immediately dominated her mind. The news shocked the girl so badly that she had to hold on to the doorframe for support when the meaning of Sanada's words sunk in.

"Sakuno-chan!" Jackal immediately stepped forward to provide more support for the girl.

"We just want to ask if you have any idea where he has disappeared to or what has happened to him," Sanada continued, seemingly oblivious of his words' effect on the girl.

"Sanada." Jackal glared at the vice captain in warning. He was appalled by the vice captain's current insensitivity. He knew Sanada had very poor social skills. He had always been strict and uptight. However, he was rarely cruel. Especially to a girl he barely knows.

The brunette made a motion of clutching her chest tightly as if to contain her panic. "N-no. I- I don't think so. I talked to him yesterday afternoon but he made no mention of going anywhere-"

Before Sakuno even finished, Sanada already turned his back on her. "Contact us if you hear anything from him," was his last comment to her before he walked away from her house and off to the street.

"Please wait-" Sakuno immediately pleaded, holding out a hand as if to reach for the vice captain. Jackal gently put down her reaching hand and led the brunette further inside her house to set her down safely on a couch. The brunette was obviously not feeling well.

"Is Akaya-kun really missing?" Sakuno urgently asked the dark-skinned regular. Jackal felt his heart clench a little as he saw the distress and fear reflected on the brunette's brown eyes.

He nodded and sent her a weak but reassuring smile. "Don't worry. He probably just fell asleep on a bus again. You know that brat."

"Then I'll help look for him. He might be… he might be in trouble," Sakuno said in alarm, trying to stand up, but falling on the sofa again when she found that her knees are unable to support her weight at the moment. She's trying with all her might not to have a nervous breakdown.

_Why Akaya-kun of all people? He's… he's…_

The lifeless bodies of the tennis players who got victimized by the serial murderer flashed in her mind.

_No… Please no!_

She clutched her chest again in an attempt to stop the burning sensation there.

"A lot of people are already looking for him so you don't need to bother. Besides, with your current condition, it's probably best if you get some rest for now. Akaya wouldn't want anything to happen to you."

"_Ne, Sa-chan. You know what's waaay better than yakiniku, video games, and tennis all combined?"_

Jackal looked at the girl who now had a very worried expression on her face. It's as if she lost everything when she heard the news from Sanada. The sympathy she evoked with that expression forced him to say something to at least comfort the girl.

"I'll let you in on a little secret," Jackal started, still sending a comforting smile to the girl, though she wasn't looking at him.

"That 'outing' that you two are supposed to go to next week? Akaya won't shut up about it." Jackal's smile suddenly turned fond, yet melancholy—as if he was remembering his _kouhai_'s excited face when he talked about taking his "Sa-chan" out.

"He begged me for food money for about a week and didn't even buy the newest brand of tennis shoes that he had been waiting for just to save up for it. Heh, that brat could be such a burden sometimes." At this, the half-Brazilian player shook his head at the junior ace's hopelessness.

"Yes, it's true that Akaya is hardly serious about anything that has nothing to do with tennis or video games. But…" The Rikkai player paused, placing a hand on the brunette's shoulder to emphasize his words.

"He's really serious about you."

Jackal took out an envelope and handed it to Sakuno. The brunette absent-mindedly took it from him.

"So have some faith in him. You know that he wouldn't miss that outing for anything in the world. He'll be found soon. But until that happens, hold onto this for him. He really worked hard to save up for this. It'll be a shame if it gets lost before you two have a chance to enjoy it."

The dark-skinned player patted Sakuno's head gently before he stood up from the couch and headed outside. Sakuno heard the door shut softly, though she remained immobile at the couch.

With numb fingers, she opened the envelope and took out the contents. Inside were two tickets to the brand-new amusement park that just opened. In addition to these tickets, there was another paper that had Akaya's messy handwriting, though only one sentence was written on the paper.

**Goal: To make Sa-chan smile**.

Following the sentence was a crude chibi picture of Sakuno and Akaya with smiling faces. Akaya had his arm around Sakuno in that chibi drawing while his other hand was making a peace sign. It was a replica of the pose they were in when they took a group picture at the cafe a few months ago.

It was cute.

And simple.

It was so Akaya. He always performed simple acts that always managed to make her smile.

This time, however, he failed as tears suddenly dropped from the brunette's face to the paper...one by one.

Soon, the brunette wasn't able to hold it any longer. Tears cascaded down her face as she finally broke down from all the stress that built up inside her body from the past few days.

"_Ne, Sa-chan. You know what's waaay better than yakiniku, video games, and tennis all combined?"_

"_Eh? Is there really something that is better than all of those? Akaya-kun loves all of those things, right?"_

_A smirk. "Heheh. I used to think like that too."_

"_Used to?"_

"_Yep."_

"_Then what happened?" _

_A pause. Then a whisper: "I met you."_

"_Hmm? What was that Akaya-kun?"_

"_N-nothing! I said nothing!"_

* * *

7:24 pm.

_Riiiing. Ring. Riiing. Ring._

For the second time that day, the brunette was woken up by soft ringing sounds. It took a few seconds before she finally recognized where she was.

At the living room of her house.

On the sofa.

Did she fall asleep on the sofa?

Glancing at her hand, she realized that she had been tightly clutching an envelope.

That's right… Akaya.

Her chest immediately tightened at the thought of the junior ace. Hopefully, they had found him already.

Her thoughts were disturbed when her cellphone rang for the umpteenth time. She lifelessly glanced at the phone that sat on top of the table. Until now, she had forgotten that her cellphone existed. It had been causing her unpleasant memories recently so she did not feel like using it.

She scooted closer to the end of the sofa to see who was calling.

When her eyes caught some familiar characters, she immediately jumped and grabbed the cellphone to make sure she didn't just imagine seeing the characters of that name.

And she was right!

It did say Kirihara Akaya!

Kirihara was calling her!

Sakuno pushed the "accept call" button quicker than a heartbeat. She clutched her cellphone as she spoke to it—as if holding onto it for dear life.

"Akaya-kun! Where are you? We have been so worried-" Her words were cut off when she heard a very weak, but familiar "Sa…-chan…" on the other end of the line. It definitely sounded like Kirihara but the voice he used was so weak that she dreaded to find out what his current state was. It was soon followed by a creepy robotic laugh that sent chills down her spine. This maniacal laugh literally froze the girl on the spot.

"W-who're you? Where's Akaya-kun?" she asked in a trembling voice, somehow already having a suspicion as to who else was on the other end of the line.

"Sorry to disappoint you, Ryuzaki Sakuno, but I am not 'Akaya-kun.' Don't worry, as you heard yourself, he is with me. We're 'bonding' right now though I doubt he would last for much longer. He's kind of bleeding a lot."

Sakuno felt her heart drop from her chest as she heard his words. She quickly felt a new wave of panic course through her body. "_Onegai_!" the brunette pleaded with all of her life. "Please don't hurt him…" she whispered helplessly, tears on her eyes, as she was unable to do anything else for the junior ace at the moment.

"That is not up to me, my dear." He let out another mechanical laugh. "It is up to you." A pause. "If you follow my wish like a good little girl, then he might get to live long enough for someone to rescue him. But… if you disobey, I can easily press the trigger and end his pathetic life."

"Don't! Please… I'll… I'll do anything! Just don't hurt him…" the brunette uttered in alarm.

"Hahah. Good girl. My wish is simple. All I want is for you to come alone to the address that I shall send in a text message within the next second. I just want to personally see your cute angelic face. Clear enough?"

"_H-Hai_…"

"Remember, come _alone_ and do not dare to tell anyone else about this deal, or else… you would find a lifeless Rikkai player at that place instead."

"I understand," Sakuno said with all the courage she can muster.

"Oh, and you better hurry. I don't think your 'Akaya-kun' would last long. You wouldn't want him to faint any time soon, right, _'_**_Sa-chan_**'?" His robotic voice emphasized the pronunciation of Kirihara's nickname for her in a mocking manner before it let out another laugh.

After that, Sakuno heard a dial tone as the call was ended.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Yes, I am so sorry for not updating for almost like a month. I am taking much harder classes this quarter so I don't get much time to write. School is basically killing me! Lol. But rest assured that I have not forgotten about this fic and will definitely try to finish it as soon as possible.

Tiny tid bits that people might be wondering about:

1. People freaked out when Kirihara went missing but not when Tezuka and Shiraishi went missing?

The situations are different. The Rikkai regulars had a good idea where Kirihara went and that he might be in possible danger. He also just went missing without a note of some kind. Tezuka and Shiraishi atleast told their parents that they would be out for a while. There's the crucial difference.

2. Jackal did not really seem like he comforted Sakuno—he made her feel more guilty and cry more!

Well, that's his way of comforting Sakuno-chan—by asking her to believe in Akaya. Nobody's perfect and we can't all be perfect comforters, right?

3. Sakuno still hasn't seen Kirihara's last text message?

No, she hasn't. She's preoccupied with a lot of things. Maybe soon, she will.

I think that's it for now. I shall try to post the next chapter soon, but I can't make a promise as to when. As usual, reviews might encourage me to post sooner no matter how busy I get though, Jk.

Until next time! Thank you so much to anyone who's still reading this story.

**Japanese Vocab:**

_Doushita_ – What's wrong?

_Masaka _– It can't be.

_*Ryoukai_– Understood/ Roger

* * *

*Thanks to tsukkomi-Zephirus, who pointed out this last typo.


	26. Her Decision

**XXVI. Her Decision**

The night air smelled like freshly cut grass to Sakuno. Cold wind whipped against her petite form as she rushed through streets, making her way to her destination. As she passed by dimly lit houses, she thought of her _baa-chan_ and how the old coach would react when she finds her granddaughter gone tomorrow morning. The old lady would surely panic and have a heart attack. Perhaps she can try to make it back before her grandmother comes home? Well, that is _if_ she can make it back at all.

At this thought, Sakuno shut her eyes and silently apologized to her grandma. She could only hope that she'd forgive her foolishness. Even the brunette is not _that_ naïve not to realize that the caller's demand is most likely a trap. What else could it be? She already found out from Ryoma that the serial murderer is out to get her because she apparently holds important evidence against him. He had tried so many times to kill her before—stalking her, the truck, the bomb. But this time, he might finally accomplish the task.

And yet, despite knowing all of this, Sakuno doesn't feel any regret regarding her decision. Even if it is a trap, she's willing to endanger her life to save _him_**—**to save that cheerful and bratty boy who always made sure she remembers that _he_ existed every single day, no matter how different their worlds are—and no matter how well he knew how futile it was.

Ironically, it was something that she had also been doing for another boy for a long time now. And so, she can relate to the feeling of always giving and giving, yet never expecting to receive.

_Two teenagers were sitting in front of a park fountain, each holding a cone of ice cream in their hands. The girl was already happily licking her strawberry frozen treat while the boy simply stared at his._

"_Sa-chan…"_

"_Hai?" The girl paused from licking her ice cream and looked at the boy beside her. She saw a thoughtful look on his face._

"_What do you see in that Echizen Ryoma?"_

_His question took the girl by surprise and she stiffened. How long has he known about her unrequited affections for Ryoma? Not that it's a secret or anything. In fact, it's so obvious that almost everyone in Seigaku knows about it. It's just that she never expected Kirihara, of all people, to notice or care about stuff like that. _

"_I-" The girl looked down, unsure of how to answer. _

_What does she like about Ryoma? For some reason, she has never asked herself that. Yes, she has a superficial attraction to him because he's handsome and cool. But she's also sure that her affections for the boy go way deeper than that. It's the fact that he always made her heart skip a beat whenever he's around that still puzzles her. Maybe it's because she's always seen him as her hero—the one who always rescues her from trouble. That is very meaningful to someone like Sakuno, who most people treat as invisible to the world. And of course, his tennis. Yes, there is something about his tennis playing that attracted Sakuno to him. When he plays tennis, Ryoma inspires something really meaningful in Sakuno. What it was, she still hasn't found out._

"_I really like the way Ryoma-kun plays tennis." At this, the brunette smiled. "In fact, he's the reason why I started liking tennis."_

_Her answer somehow disheartened the boy beside her. _

"_Heh, of course. Sa-chan has also seen me play tennis, right?" Kirihara asked with a dismayed tone._

"_Hai! And I also admire Akaya-kun's tennis! It's really powerful, full of energy, and-"_

"_Forget I asked," Kirihara said, suddenly wanting to change the topic. "Ne, have you been to an arcade? I'll take you to one!" _

_And with that, his cheerful attitude was plastered back on and he dragged the brunette away with him._

Perhaps, without really knowing it, she has also been giving the Rikkai boy the same pain that the prince has been giving her.

_A ticket was presented to a boy by a braided girl who had a shy smile on. The boy's catlike eyes shifted from the girl's face to the ticket she was giving to him. _

"_A-Ano… I took Ryoma-kun's advice and entered another tennis competition since I lost in the first tournament. I-I was just wondering if Ryoma-kun would have time this afternoon to see my first match in this new one."_

_The prince did nothing and simply looked at her with his apathetic eyes. The brunette was starting to lose her confidence. "If Ryoma-kun is busy, I understand-"_

_Ryoma suddenly took the ticket from her hands. "I'll try to come." He then stood up from his chair and left the brunette alone in the classroom. _

_Sakuno's spirits were lifted by those four simple words. _

_The fact that Ryoma said that he might come to her first match meant a lot to her. It meant that she had the chance to show him how much she's improved because of all of his teachings and her hard work. And since she had been expecting him to come, she was able to keep up her game and focus on her match. _

_With some difficulty, the brunette finally won an official match for the very first time. She was very happy and so excited to see Ryoma's approval that right after her game, she immediately scanned the audience for the prince. She could've sworn she saw a white cap somewhere in the crowd when she was playing but she wasn't able to verify it since she had to focus on her match._

_After about twenty more minutes of searching, the brunette finally convinced herself to give up. She shouldn't have kept her hopes up. He did say that he will "try to come." He didn't make any promises._

_It wasn't until she was outside of the dome where the tournament was held that the gloomy expression in her eyes was replaced by surprise. Right after she exited the dome gates, a bunch of fresh jasmine flowers were held up to her face much like the way she held up the ticket to the prince earlier that day._

Sakuno shook her head to clear her thoughts away and then composed herself as much as she can when she entered the train station. Luckily, the train came just seconds after she got to the platform. Not wanting to waste time, she quickly hopped onto the train and sat on one of the back seats that were closest to the exits.

Night trains in Tokyo are mostly deserted so she was not surprised to find no one else in the train. She's actually glad that it is the case. If there are people, they might get suspicious as to what could a high school girl be doing alone in a train at that time of the night. She let out a sigh of relief as she closed her eyes and tried to prepare for what she's going to do once she reaches her destination. That was until…

"Where are you going?" a familiar voice interrupted the brunette's solitude.

Sakuno's eyes quickly opened and then widened in apprehension when she saw a pair of eyes she definitely did not want to see at that moment. She stared into his eyes, willing—for the very first time in her life—for him to be just an illusion.

"R-Ryoma-kun…"

* * *

Ryoma had easily followed Sakuno from her house to the train station, and then finally into the train they were both currently at. It wasn't hard to follow the brunette without being seen, especially since Sakuno seemed to be really preoccupied. She didn't even notice that another person had gotten into the same train that she had, and that only the two of them were in that train. If Ryoma had been the serial murderer, he could've easily harmed her and Sakuno wouldn't have seen it coming. That thought darkened Ryoma's feline-like eyes as they filled with anger.

So his Inui-_senpai_ had been right after all. Earlier that day, when he visited his Inui-_senpai_'s apartment for the meeting that got cancelled, Inui informed him about his "hunch." He told Ryoma about the Rikkai regulars' suspicion that Kirihara might have fallen into a trap that was set up by the serial murderer. The fact that there's no dead body found yet gave all of them hope, though he and Renji suspected that there has to be a catch. It might be an inaccurate prediction (Inui said it only had a probability of 22% of happening), but it is not impossible that Kirihara was currently being held as collateral, as a hostage, or even as bait. Why else would the murderer spare the junior ace's life when he has proven many times that he has no whatsoever reserves in killing tennis players? And if he has already killed him, where is the body? His previous attacks proved that he doesn't mind showing the dead bodies of his victims to the world.

So it is logical to suspect that the murderer might be holding Kirihara as bait at the moment. The next question is: for what or to bait _who_? Inui didn't directly tell Ryoma the answer to this question as the data man already saw in Ryoma's eyes that he arrived at the conclusion Inui wanted him to. And with that last thought, Inui asked Ryoma to leave his apartment.

And so, from the time he left Inui's residence and until that evening, Ryoma carefully watched Sakuno's house from a hidden spot on the next road. Sanada had almost spotted his hiding spot when the _fukubuchou_ exited Sakuno's house that afternoon but the prince had managed to hide behind another building before the vice captain actually saw him. About ten minutes later, Jackal also exited the Ryuzaki residence and went off to the same direction Sanada disappeared to. The prince found the Rikkai regulars' visit to the girl suspicious but deduced that they probably just asked about the junior ace. Besides, Sakuno's safety is more important than anything. He shall think about other things later.

Presently, the prince was staring down at the girl who was so frightened by his appearance that she wasn't able to think or move at the moment. He asked his question again, this time, in a firmer and more authoritative voice.

"Ryuzaki, where are you going?"

Sakuno summoned all her will to make her eyes look away from Ryoma. She cannot afford to be swept away by his hypnotizing gaze right now. The brunette simply bowed her head and looked down.

"I…" Sakuno clutched the fabric of the dress she's currently wearing as if to still her nerves. "I'm visiting a friend."

"I'm not stupid," Ryoma blurted out, quickly brushing off her lame excuse.

Sakuno frowned, not really knowing what to do. She really cannot afford to tell Ryoma, no matter how much she wants to, because she wouldn't be able to protect Kirihara that way. The suspect's specific orders were to come _alone_ and not to tell anyone about the deal or else... No, she would never _ever_ let that happen! Besides, she can't also endanger Ryoma's life by dragging him into this. She really has to face this alone.

The brunette's anxious expression ebbed Ryoma's anger little by little. Soon, he was able to talk in a much gentler voice. "Let's talk about this. We can plan what we can do."

The fact that Ryoma's talking like he already knows about the deal frightened Sakuno and she suddenly stood up and backed away from the prince.

"I can't! I-… Ryoma-kun, just _please_, leave me alone for now." Her eyes sent him an intense look of trepidation.

Ryoma closed his eyes in an effort to calm himself. Leave her alone? Heck, like he can ever let himself do that.

"You're being stupid. You're obviously being baited."

"Then please let me be stupid! I'm sorry but I would willingly be stupid for him," Sakuno shot back, using an angry tone with Ryoma for the first time. Even the brunette seemed surprised upon hearing herself use that tone with the prince like that.

However, to Ryoma, it wasn't the tone she used that was most notable. It was the mention of a "him." Somehow, it sent a painful sensation to him—as if somebody had quickly pricked his chest. Ignoring the feeling, he narrowed his eyes at the girl, the pain somewhat showing through his darkened yellow eyes no matter how much he tried to hide it.

"Weren't you the one who insisted that we trust each other?"

There. He said it.

For Ryoma, that's the closest thing he could say to get the point across to her—something like a "don't do this to me."

Hearing him say it hurt the girl so much more than his "you're stupid" or any of his other negative comments could have.

A period of silence was observed between the two wherein they merely stared into each other's eyes. The silence was only broken when the automated operator announced that the train was entering another station. The doors of the train opened as two or three people hopped on and joined the two teenagers inside the train. Fortunately, they stayed in the front section, still giving both Ryoma and Sakuno some privacy.

_Hurt him more_. An inner voice suddenly whispered to Sakuno. _Hurt him bad so he would hate you and let you go._

The ironic part was that she just made a connection with the prince last night too—after so many years of trying hard to get the boy's attention. And now, she's going to break it off. She _has_ to break it off.

"_Omedetto, Sa-chan." His green eyes shone as he gave her a smirk. "I'm so proud of you." _

Yes, for _him_, she's willing to break it off.

Not knowing what else she can do, Sakuno averted her eyes from the prince and followed her inner voice's advice.

"You can't always be the center of my life, Ryoma-kun…"

And then, she looked back into his eyes with an expression of determination, whispering the last part of her words softly, yet loud enough for the boy to hear. "And you're _not_ anymore."

At the last minute, Sakuno got off the train just a second before the doors completely shut. Ryoma wasn't able to follow her this time since the doors closed right after Sakuno.

Down at the station platform, the brunette refused to look back at Ryoma as the train—which he remained in—sped away.

'_Gomen_, Ryoma-kun,' she whispered helplessly as she wiped tears from her eyes with her sleeves. She didn't mean to say those words to Ryoma. She never wanted to hurt him like that. However, right now, she couldn't help it. She had already made her decision and she will stand by it. Without wasting another second, the brunette ran off without hesitation to her destination—to Kirihara Akaya.

That's right, because even back on that afternoon…

_It wasn't until she was outside of the dome where the tournament was held that the gloomy expression in her eyes was replaced by surprise. Right after she exited the dome gates, a bunch of fresh jasmine flowers were held up to her face much like the way she held up the ticket to the prince earlier that day._

"_Omedetto, Sa-chan." His green eyes shone as he gave her a smirk. "I'm so proud of you." _

_As usual, he ruffled her hair with his other hand to show his affections. The brunette barely had a chance to react before he engulfed her in a warm hug, one of his hands holding her head to his chest._

"_I'm really proud of you."_

…it was Kirihara Akaya who had greeted her outside the gates.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

I didn't mean for this chapter to be angsty, I swear. Lol. I just felt like I needed to establish this Sakuno and Kirihara connection in order to make the next sequence of events much more reasonable. Sorry if there's not much development in this chapter. This is just like an interlude for the next chappie, which would be out soon (maybe tonight), but it would probably be short (I am apologizing now xD).

Please R&R? :3

**Japanese Vocab:**

_Omedetto__** - **_Congratulations


	27. Red

**XXVII. Red**

_**Red** is the color of **blood**, and I will seek it..._

_Madness for **red**! I devour the leaves of autumn.  
I tire of the **green** of the world.  
I am myself a mouth for **blood**._

_-_ Conrad Aiken (1889-1973)_  
_

* * *

Sakuno panted as she reached the edge of the forest where the mysterious caller had directed her to. She wasn't aware that a wooded area such as that place even existed somewhere close to Tokyo. As it was almost around eight in the evening, darkness had already invaded the forest surrounding her, making the place appear scarier than it already is. Her only source of light was the scant lighting that her cellphone provided, which she had used to navigate around the area.

Looking beyond her, the brunette saw an old, rickety wooden bridge that was connecting two high cliffs—one of which she was currently standing on top of. She paused at the edge, right next to the entrance of the bridge, and held up her cellphone to see what was at the bottom of the cliff. Apparently, it was a futile action since she can only see a bottomless, pitch black pit. That doesn't give much information on how high the cliff really is!

Instinctively, she took a step backwards. The poor girl almost jumped in fright when her cell phone suddenly played a loud sound. Looking at the screen, she saw the call icon flash along with the name "Kirihara Akaya." Oh how she wished that was true. But of course, as she just found out earlier that evening, a different person holds the junior ace's mobile phone at this moment.

With shaky fingers, she pushed the "answer call" button and muttered a soft "_moshi moshi_."

"Cross the bridge," the robotic voice instructed.

"_E-eh_?" Sakuno asked in apprehension, hoping she didn't hear him right. The brunette suddenly looked around expecting to spot the caller somewhere around her. How else did he know that she was already in front of the bridge? Unless he set up hidden cameras around the place…

"Need I remind you that your boyfriend doesn't have much time left?"

His threat worked like magic on the girl and she replied immediately, "_G-gomen_. I shall cross it right away."

Sakuno grabbed the left rope railing and placed one foot on the bridge. It wiggled unstably as it adjusted to the added weight. She shivered uncontrollably when she heard the mysterious caller laugh from the other end of the line. The mechanical fakeness of his voice amplified the creepiness of the sound.

"Excellent. Don't worry, you'll find your 'prize' waiting for you on the other side. Just enter the dilapidated building that you'll see right away after you cross the bridge. I'll meet you there."

And then the person ended the call.

Looking ahead of her, Sakuno tried to swallow the lump in her throat. The "prize" that the caller mentioned did not sound positive at all. She suddenly dreaded reaching the other side of the bridge. However, she cannot afford to be scared. Kirihara needs her and no one else can help her at this moment. Not even Ryoma…

Trying to blink thoughts about the prince away, she secured her cellphone inside her dress pocket and placed her other foot on the bridge. Once again, it wiggled unstably and she's almost sure that the ropes securing the bridge would snap anytime soon and that the whole bridge would collapse. Only one thought comforted her—that if anything happened to her, at least she had secured a back-up plan for someone else to rescue the junior ace.

A while ago, before she reached her destination, she had saved two text messages. They contained the address the caller sent to her and a message explaining that Kirihara could be found there. The brunette was planning to send the messages to Bunta and Inui. Sakuno trusted that those two would recruit the help of their teammates, and that they can all join forces to rescue Kirihara. The messages were set up in a way that she only needed to push one button on her cellphone to send the text messages automatically. It was a cool emergency feature of her phone—an existing proof of the wonders of modern Japanese technology.

It was a pretty good back-up plan. After all, it's her who the murderer wanted to get rid of. The junior ace was only held captive to ensure her cooperation. If she appears as he instructed, then maybe she'll be able to buy time for Kirihara to hide or escape until the others can rescue him.

Yes, it's basically a suicide mission but it's the only one she can think of at the moment. Ryoma would've never approved of it and that is another reason why she decided not to tell the prince anything.

After a few more heart-dropping moments of the bridge swaying as the brunette crossed, she finally managed to reach the other side safely. She took a deep breath before she continued on.

There was a dilapidated, dirty white building that was standing a few feet from where she stood just as the caller had promised. It looked like it was used as a warehouse before, though as to why it was built in this hidden, far-away area, the brunette doesn't have a clue. Perhaps to store illegal materials? The thought only intensified the brunette's apprehension so she cleared her mind and tried to focus on her current objective.

If she remembered correctly, the caller told her to enter the building and meet him there.

Sakuno shivered from the cold as she approached the building. Unlike on the other side of the cliff, this place was shrouded in mist, which must be the reason why it's a couple of degrees colder in there. Sakuno reached the door of the storage building and grabbed the handle of the door, testing it. After she gave it a hard push, it moved back with a creaky noise as it opened.

The brunette then entered the dark building hesitantly.

Not even a minute after she did, the door suddenly closed behind her and she was locked inside the dark building. Panicking, she clumsily tried to reach for her phone in her dress, intending to use it for lighting. However, a lamp lit up on the far side of the room that rendered her actions useless.

It took a few seconds for the brunette to adjust her eyes to the new light. And then… she was able to see the sight in front of her.

Right beside the lamp, slumped in a corner, was Kirihara Akaya. He was leaning against the wall of the building, his bangs covering his eyes. The first thing she noticed about him was that he was almost covered from head to toe in a bright red color.

Blood on his hair.

Blood trickling down his face.

Dried blood spots all over his Rikkai shirt, converting the yellow shirt to almost brown red.

Blood here.

Blood there.

Blood everywhere.

Sakuno quickly covered her mouth with her hand to keep herself from whimpering. She bit her bottom lip hard to try to keep her emotions inside. The only thought that kept her from not fainting right then and there was the fact that she can tell that he's at least still alive. She can see the rise and fall of his shoulders and faintly hear each difficult breath he was taking.

Unwillingly, tears had collected in her eyes and started to fall down her face in no time. The sight was just too painful for her.

Taking a shaky breath, she couldn't help but whisper his name as she approached him. "A-A…Akaya…kun…"

And then she suddenly fell to the ground, her legs giving out to the pressure. She shakily tried to stand up but her legs gave out again. Her body was apparently too stressed to move on its own will.

Sooner than she would've liked, she heard that cursed mechanical laugh again. It was projected from a speaker that was located near the junior ace.

"He looks pretty in red, doesn't he?" the voice taunted.

Clenching her fist, Sakuno shot the speaker a resentful glare. "You monster! How could you do this to him? He has done nothing to you! Wasn't it me you wanted?" she yelled uselessly, not caring that she's only talking to a speaker. He most likely have hidden cameras set up in the room anyway, just like back at the bridge. She doesn't know who this person is but whoever he is, it seems like he takes enjoyment in watching people suffer and cry out in pain—especially her.

"Monster? You're calling me a monster? Hahah. Do you even know the real nature of these tennis players who you treat like holy gods?" the mechanical voice spat back with a hint of venom. "Well, you'll find out in a few seconds. Maybe then, you'll think twice about your good opinion of these tennis players you care so much about." After those words, no other sounds came from the speaker.

Sakuno didn't really understand what the caller meant by his last words but she's too distressed at the moment to care. Sneakily placing her hand inside her dress pocket, she expertly pushed the "emergency send" button on her phone to send out her text messages.

She doesn't care what happens to her from now on just as long as the others arrive soon enough to rescue Kirihara. He badly needs help.

"Sa…chan…"

Sakuno jerked when she heard the weak voice. She found it hard to believe that it came from the junior ace since it was too filled with despair to belong to the cheerful boy she knows.

"… is…gone…Sa-chan…"

Unable to stand up, Sakuno crawled over to attend to the junior ace. Looking at him, she doesn't know where to start bandaging to prevent further blood loss. He's practically bleeding everywhere! There were cuts and bruises all over his face and his body. She desperately tried not to think of the torture the boy went through to sustain these injuries.

"I-I'm here… Akaya-kun. I'm so sorry. It's going to be okay soon, just please…please…hang on for a little longer," she reassured both the Rikkai player and herself while she started ripping her dress to serve as makeshift bandages.

When the girl reached out a hand to gently touch the boy, the junior ace violently lashed his arm at her, causing her to fall down harshly on the ground. She winced as her shoulder collided against a blunt part of the floor, which was made up of uneven cracked cement.

Trying to ignore the pain in her shoulder, the brunette looked up and sent the boy a worried look. "A-Akaya-kun? It's okay. It's me… Sakuno."

"…kill… you all… kill… you all…"

Kirihara apparently didn't hear her as he continued to mumble the same words over and over again.

As his chant went on, his tone of voice gradually became colder—until it reached a tone of voice that she had never heard the boy use before. It was much creepier than the voice he used when he went devil mode in the tennis courts.

It truly frightened the brunette.

"…Akaya-kun?... please…" she started begging, not really sure why, but she's too overwhelmed that she can't think properly anymore.

As if responding to her last plea, Kirihara suddenly looked up, finally giving a full view of his eyes to the brunette for the first time that night.

They were the color that currently surrounded him.

The color that draped all over his body.

They were completely blood-shot eyes.

A pretty, pretty, bright red color.

The color of the devil.

And they stared at Sakuno in a very _malicious_ manner.

* * *

Watching from a place far away from the forest Sakuno was at, the culprit laughed maniacally as he saw horror reflected in the brunette's eyes from one of the monitor screens in front of him. He had set up a lot of surveillance cameras around the forest and that is how he was able to control everything from his secured place.

How very foolish of that girl.

So perhaps the girl was able to deduce that the useless Rikkai player was used as bait. It's true enough.

However, she obviously failed to predict that he had much, much, greater plans for the junior ace than that. If anything, "tool" would be the more precise term for the boy.

That's right.

That idiotic Rikkai player is an effective tool that he can use to get rid of the Ryuzaki girl, who had been causing him way too much trouble recently.

And it didn't take much to convert the Rikkai player to an effective killing tool either. The boy already had the devil mode in him. All he needed to do was mess with the boy's mind. It was a very easy thing to accomplish, especially since he knew the Rikkai boy's main weakness.

He couldn't wait to see how the boy would react once he realizes that he just unconsciously killed the most precious thing in his life. He'd probably be too broken that he'd want to kill himself too. That'll take care of the clean up for him.

Chuckling, the culprit eyed a bomb detonator on top of his table and grabbed it from its resting place. It was a detonator to the two bombs he had set up around the rope bridge Sakuno just crossed moments ago. As if he was simply squashing a bug, he tapped the on button on the detonator and watched contentedly as explosions occurred in one of his TV monitors.

The rickety bridge near the abandoned warehouse quickly collapsed from the explosions—effectively trapping Sakuno with a bloody, uncontrollable, and wild Rikkai player on the other cliff.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

I seriously thought that this chapter would be super short but I was apparently wrong. Lolol. We finally get the murderer's POV for the first time, hm? It's quite interesting.

I can't promise when the next chapter will be out but I'll try to work on it whenever I get free times!

Please read and review. Thank you so much for all the support, _minna-san_!

**Japanese Vocab:**

_Moshi moshi _- hello

_Gomen_ - I'm sorry; I apologize


	28. Akai Devil

**XXVIII. Akai Devil**

_It was a dark side of him that he kept desperately away from her.  
Because he knew…  
He knew that once she sees that monstrous part of him,  
everything's over…_

_He would only see disgust on her face.  
_

* * *

The explosions from outside resounded loudly in the building, yet nobody moved.

The boy and the girl just stared at each other—the girl with a frightened and confused expression on her face, and the boy with a dangerous animalistic glare.

Kirihara's eyes showed no signs of recognition. He simply looked at Sakuno in a bloodthirsty manner—his eyes resembling that of a predator about to devour a vulnerable prey. When his hand finally made a movement, Sakuno's gaze followed it. Her instincts heightened in alarm when she saw the junior ace slowly grab a steel baseball bat that was lying right next to him.

Within a second, the boy straightened up from his hunched position. He stood so quickly that Sakuno intuitively distanced herself from him by jerking backwards.

This raw display of fear in her eyes evoked something within the junior ace.

He laughed.

"_Devil, devil! Stay away from us, devil! You don't deserve to live here on earth!" _

And laughed.

The laugh was so maniacal that it can easily rival the resentful robotic laugh she heard not so long ago. It unnerved Sakuno to hear the boy sound so much like the villain who has been causing all of their miseries. It was almost as if the murderer's spirit possessed Kirihara and took control of his body.

Sakuno's brown eyes widened in apprehension when the junior ace took a step towards her.

Followed by another.

And another.

With every step, the brunette used her hands to drag herself farther away from the boy. Her legs were currently useless and the throbbing pain in her right shoulder wasn't helping either. Nevertheless, she dragged herself away until her back finally hit a wall.

"Akaya-kun... " she uttered uncertainly, unable to reconcile the image of the devil before her with the cheerful boy she had gotten close to. "W-what's wrong?"

Her call went on deaf ears as Kirihara simply loomed over her with a crazed expression on his face. He smirked in an impish manner as he eyed his prey, who was now trapped between himself and the wall. Sakuno watched helplessly as the junior ace slowly raised the steel baseball bat in his hands.

"_Devil, devil! Stay away from us, devil! You don't deserve to live here on earth!" _

_The five-year-old boy covered his face as stones were thrown at him. Unfortunately, one of them successfully hit his forehead and left a diagonal cut. He blinked and touched the wound, unmindful of the sharp pain. When he pulled his hand away, he saw red liquid tainting his hand._

"_Devil, devil!" the other children continued to taunt as the others gathered mores stones to throw._

_Then all of a sudden, red started to fill his vision. He grabbed one of the boys who was closest to him and-_

**Smash.**

Sakuno was barely able to evade collision with the bat as it whipped right next to her head and made a deep dent in the wall. Panicked, she quickly crawled away from him.

As she was crawling away, Kirihara managed to grab her right arm and used it to forcefully hoist her up. She winced as she felt the pain in her right shoulder exacerbate as he brought her body closer to him.

He let out another animalistic laugh before he slammed her body against the wall. Sakuno almost cried out loud in pain as she felt burning stings on her back. She felt the junior ace pin her against the wall using his body.

"_Kaa-chan, I didn't mean to hurt those boys. They started it!" _

_His mother hugged him tightly, ignoring the boy's excuses. "Akaya, you shouldn't show people this… 'defect' of yours or they would all hate you."_

"…_they would all hate you…"_

Kirihara's eyes suddenly hardened in anger and he tightened his hold on Sakuno's right arm—his grip cutting her blood circulation. The intense pain brought tears to the brunette's eyes. She weakly forced herself to look at the boy in front of her.

"Akaya-kun…" Sakuno closed her eyes and let tears fall down her face. "Please stop."

All of a sudden, the caller's last taunt came back to her.

"_Do you even know the real nature of these tennis players who you treat like holy gods?"_

Does she?

Does she really?

How well does she know Kirihara?

The brunette suddenly found herself asking the question. This wild demon-like boy in front of him couldn't be the real him. This is not the real Kirihara. At least, it is not the real Kirihara she knows…

Sakuno reopened her eyes when she heard the junior ace let out one of his devilish laughs again. She saw him looking at her with a dangerous glint in his eyes. Blood ran down his face as his clotted wounds busted open again. He was apparently putting more stress on his already beaten body just by moving a lot. This only added to Sakuno's apprehension.

Oblivious to the fact, Kirihara licked his bottom lip in an evil manner. He inched his face closer to her as his body further pushed her against the wall.

In a low voice that was dark and husky, he whispered lazily: "I'll dye you red. From head to toe…"

He raised his other hand that held the baseball bat and positioned for another strike. Trapped in that position, Sakuno struggled against the junior ace's firm grip to no avail—he was too strong for her.

"_Dame_, Akaya-kun! Please!"

The bat stayed in the air before-

**SMASH.**

The sounds of shattering glass followed by the scattering of its broken pieces suddenly filled the area.

Both the junior ace's and the brunette's attention were automatically diverted to the source of the noise. As they looked to their right, they saw broken pieces of what used to be a glass window.

On top of these fallen and shattered glass pieces was the poised form of none other than Echizen Ryoma. A trail of blood was running from his left temple to his jaw—most likely a cut he sustained from breaking through the glass window.

He straightened up from his crouched positioned as he eyed the two teenagers before him and the position they were in. Ryoma soon directed his gaze solely at the junior ace—his yellow feline-like eyes glinting in a silent, yet _very_ threatening manner.

* * *

_After Sakuno exited the train, Ryoma remained immobile until his Momo-senpai settled a hand on his shoulder. Momo, Inui, and Kaidoh were the three people who got on the train when it stopped at the station. Ryoma had contacted Inui a few minutes before, letting the data man know that his hunch was correct. Fortunately, Sakuno was too preoccupied to notice that her senpai's were actually the people who had boarded the train._

"_We'll get her home safely. Don't worry," Momo reassured his kouhai, who didn't say anything in response. "You did manage to attach the tracking device on her, right?" _

_At his question, the prince nodded._

"_Good job, Echizen. We'll gather the rest of the regulars then we'll- What do you think you're doing?" the data man's words were cut off when he saw the first year opening one of the windows of the speeding train. Inui stepped forward. He somehow already had a clue as to what the prince was planning to do._

_Ryoma simply gave his senpai-tachi a stubborn look as the strong wind coming from the opened window played with his hair. He wasn't wearing his trademark Fila cap at the moment._

"_There might not be enough time. I'll go on ahead and senpai-tachi can just follow." With those last words, he jumped out of the window and fortunately managed to land on the last few feet of the station platform before the train sped off to the distance. While he tumbled on the ground, he gained a couple more of scratches and possibly re-injured his ankle in the process. It was a crazy idea but he doesn't really care._

_He only had a single thought in his head. And that was to protect her._

_Using one of the GPS trackers his Inui-senpai had given him, he immediately followed Sakuno. Just two minutes after he had crossed the bridge, he was surprised when it suddenly collapsed from unexplained explosions. It was a good thing he was already on the other cliff when that happened so he wasn't harmed. _

_The event automatically alerted his keen senses, however, and he knew that something just went horribly wrong._

_Hurrying up to the dilapidated house the GPS was leading him to, he was dismayed to find the door locked shut. He tried to push against it so many times, yet nothing happened. Ryoma then tried to search for another entrance. He went round and round the building but found none. When he heard the sound of something crashing against the wall, his fear for the safety of the brunette heightened dramatically. His heart started to beat so ridiculously fast that he couldn't help but feel like it was going to bust out of his chest any time soon. Tension flared up inside his body and he was barely able to think straight._

_Looking around crazily, he suddenly spotted a rectangular glass window that was located high up on one side of the building. It was big enough for a person to go through. The problem was: how the heck was he going to get up there? He didn't find a ladder when he was searching the area and he cannot afford to waste any time to look for one. _

_Fortunately, he soon spotted a tree that was tall and close enough to the window he had his eyes on. It was at least seven feet from the window, but the prince thought that it would have to do. If he was able to survive jumping from a train that was running approximately100 miles per hour, he figured that this next crazy idea would be a piece of cake._

_And so, he climbed the tree._

* * *

It was completely dark in the abandoned school area. Not a single lamp post clued him in on where he was at.

Despite of that, he's pretty sure that the person he was following was around the place somewhere. As proof, he saw the person's black and shiny sports car parked in front of the abandoned school grounds.

Kabaji looked at the different buildings in front of him, unsure of where to go. He was able to sneakily follow Atobe using a hired taxi but the Hyoutei regular lost sight of his captain when Atobe suddenly turned his car into a very narrow street that barely fit his fashionable car.

The taxi driver refused to follow the route and so Kabaji had no choice but to follow the captain on foot from then on. He searched different streets and corners until he finally spotted Atobe's sports car.

It was something that has been happening a lot recently. He has often caught his _buchou_ sneaking out at night going to some place he doesn't know. One night, he confronted Atobe as he was just going out of his mansion. Kabaji, loyal as ever, offered to accompany the King to wherever he wanted to go.

Normally, Atobe would have approved and tagged Kabaji along, but this time, Atobe flat out refused and ordered Kabaji in a harsh manner not to interfere as this was none of his business. Kabaji was puzzled and confused. Atobe has never used that tone with him before nor has the giant ever seen his _buchou_ get all that fired up over something.

However, as Kabaji never disobeyed orders from the King, he decided to let the matter go for a few days until he overheard Atobe's conversation with his agents. After overhearing some suspicious information that day, he just wasn't able to let the matter go anymore.

Worried about his "master," he started watching him very closely. He found that the Hyoutei captain broke his "night-out" cycle for a while and didn't go out for a few days. That was until this week. This week, Atobe had gone out more than usual—in fact, almost every night. It was alarmingly suspicious. Something was definitely going on. So tonight, Kabaji finally decided to follow the _buchou_ even if it meant disobeying him for the very first time.

Kabaji was in the middle of deciding which building to search first when a flash of light on the second floor of the left most building alerted him of someone's presence. It was a quick flash of light but the giant was sure that he saw it.

Without a second thought, Kabaji quietly headed towards the building.

* * *

"Echizen Ryoma…"

A pencil was snapped in half as the prince's face appeared on one of his monitor screens.

"Of course… he would interfere. When has he not?" The murderer suddenly threw the broken pieces of the pencil at the television screens in anger. He was about to do something about the situation when his keen sense of hearing picked up some noise from the floor below.

Completely alerted, he stood listening for a few minutes.

There was no further noise but the murderer could sense another presence inside the building.

* * *

Sakuno's eyes were fixed in shock as she stared at Ryoma. For a few seconds, she couldn't believe what her eyes were seeing.

But it was indeed the prince.

He came.

He came for her.

He came to her rescue like he always did.

Even though… even though she had said and done horrible things that hurt him earlier that evening.

Ryoma didn't move from his position and simply stared at Kirihara in that quiet, menacing manner. Even though he didn't say a word, his steely glare alone sent its own threats—threats that were far more ominous than any word in the dictionary could deliver.

Kirihara merely smirked and then chuckled amusedly at this new turn of events. Turning to completely face the prince, the junior ace released his grip on the girl, allowing the brunette to slump on the ground.

For some reason, Kirihara's red eyes flashed intense anger as he stared more closely at the prince. Though he still showed no signs that he recognized Ryoma, there was something about the first year regular that was making his blood boil. It was like he inherently despised the guy who was now before him.

"_Omae… tsubusu yo,_" the junior ace uttered before letting out a chilling laugh.

Swinging his metallic baseball bat, Kirihara gradually closed the distance between him and Ryoma. The expression in his eyes completely turned murderous as he raised the bat and prepared to attack the prince.

Ryoma sent Sakuno a quick glance before he dodged the assault.

* * *

Sakuno almost screamed when she saw the junior ace swing the bat dangerously close to Ryoma. She dreaded to find out what that bat can do to the prince's head if it collides with it even just once. In shock of these recent developments, she sat there frozen, staring at the two in horror.

"Ryuzaki!" Ryoma called in a serious tone, attempting to snap the girl out of shock. He dodged another swing of the bat as he ran over to the farther side of the building, attempting to lure Kirihara away from Sakuno as far as possible.

"Find a way to get out of here." Ryoma knew that the window he used to enter the building was way too high to climb from the inside. Unlike outside where there are trees, there's barely anything inside the room that they can climb over.

When the prince saw from his peripheral vision that the brunette still sat there in shock, he raised his voice, "Now!"

The increased volume in his voice brought the girl back to reality. Trembling, she attempted to follow Ryoma's order as she tried to stand up. She fell down within a second but she tried again. She tried two more times and at the fourth try, she succeeded. She literally forced her legs to bear her weight as she clumsily ran towards the door to see if it can open from the inside.

She tried to push and pull at the door handle but nothing happened. It seemed as if it was bolted shut.

Turning back to see how the two were doing, Sakuno's eyes widened in panic when she saw Ryoma clutching a bleeding right shoulder as he leaned against a stone pillar, panting.

* * *

The prince had missed a step when he was dodging one of the junior ace's assaults. It was due to his ankle acting up again. As a result, the end of the bat ended up catching his shoulder, sending him back harshly against a stone pillar. The hit busted some of the skin in Ryoma's shoulder but he believed that it didn't shatter any bones.

"Ryoma-kun! You're-" she exclaimed in worry, hurrying to approach the two but Ryoma immediately stopped her with a glare.

"Don't!"

The prince lunged to the right as Kirihara wildly smashed the bat against the stone pillar Ryoma's head was resting against just a second ago. A huge portion of the pillar easily crumbled to pieces from the hit.

"Keep looking for a way out!" Ryoma called back to the brunette.

Keep looking for a way out? While he slowly gets himself killed in front of her? As if that was an easy thing to do.

Nevertheless, Sakuno looked around for any hints of entrance, exits, or even small cracks. Aside from the busted window high above, there was literally nothing else in the room that was usable. From her peripheral vision, she saw the outlines of the two boys and she couldn't help but check what was happening between them.

She was just in time to see Ryoma hurl a huge piece of stone from the crumbled pillar at the junior ace. Kirihara blocked it with his left arm—leaving more scratches on the junior ace's arm and adding more decoration to his already blood-drenched body. And he had already lost too much blood! How long will he be able to last before he passes out and dies from massive blood loss? The brunette saw Kirihara take a couple of painful breaths before he continued his murderous rampage.

Sakuno's heart clenched painfully at the sight and she wanted to scream in agony.

Two of the most important people in her life were killing each other right in front of her. And she can't do anything. Nothing at all.

If this continues on, she's bound to lose one of them. _Or both._

And it was all her fault.

Everything was her fault.

She felt a new batch of tears collecting in her eyes—useless tears that can do nothing to save the people she cares about.

'Akaya-kun… Ryoma-kun…'

Sakuno clenched her fists, hating herself for being so useless.

The prince suddenly fell down and clutched his foot, gritting his teeth to suppress the pain. He caught his left foot in one of the cracks in the floor while he was running around—a mistake which ended up re-twisting his previously injured ankle. Sakuno watched in horror as the junior ace raised the bat on top of the prince, preparing to smash his head.

Without thinking, Sakuno closed her eyes and blindly rushed forward—attempting to stop the junior ace by hugging him from the back, and preventing him from making the hit. It worked as Kirihara got distracted from delivering the blow.

"_Mou ii_, Akaya-kun! Please stop! If you don't, we'll all-"

Kirihara sent a sharp elbow into her stomach that knocked the wind out of her. She fell on the ground coughing but Kirihara wasn't planning on giving her a break. He grabbed her neck, hoisted her up, and slammed her body against the wall again…and again.

"_Hahahahah. Fool. You are nothing but a tool. Even the other Rikkai regulars only use you as a tool. They only tolerate your devil mode because they want to win matches. They don't consider you as a friend. No wonder they don't trust you. How can they? You're nothing but a demon—a violent, uncontrollable demon."_

"_Shut up!" Kirihara wildly screamed as he strained at his chains forcibly. The metallic cuffs dug through his skin as he tried to escape from them. _

_The murderer lashed out at him repeatedly with a leather belt, leaving painful cuts throughout the junior ace's body. Kirihara ignored it, however. He just wanted to escape from his chains so he can kill this guy and then he can't hurt anyone anymore. _

"_Oh by the way, does she know?"_

_Upon the mention of a "she," Kirihara completely froze._

Trying not to scream from the pain as she repeatedly got slammed, Sakuno tried to get a glimpse of the junior ace.

'He's not Akaya-kun… he's not Akaya-kun…' Sakuno repeated again and again in her mind. 'This monster is not Akaya-kun!'

"_Has she seen you in your frightening devil mode? Completely violent? Harming innocent people?"_

_Kirihara's eyes widened a fraction._

"_Hahahahahahahah. How cute. So all this time, you've been hiding it from her? Are you scared she'll hate you? Despise you?" the murderer taunted in his robotic voice. "Well, I understand your fear. Because if you think about it, you really are nothing compared to the great Echizen Ryoma, you know, that boy she __**loves**_._" Another robotic chuckle resounded in the prison cell. _"_How about you? You are nothing to her, right? What more if she learns about your violent tendencies? She will definitely __**despise you**_."

"_SHUT UP! I'll kill you… I'll kill you! I'll definitely kill you!"_

"Ryuzaki!"

Ryoma ignored his twisted ankle and lunged at the junior ace, attempting to wrestle him away from Sakuno. Kirihara ignored Ryoma, still intent on slamming Sakuno's fragile body against the wall.

The pain was too intense that Sakuno was on the verge of passing out. Looking through a blur of tears, she can barely see Kirihara anymore.

She was about to succumb to unconsciousness when she saw a shiny drop fall from the junior ace's left eye, amidst the red all over his face.

It was something white and pure that stood out amidst the bloody mess.

Forcing her eyes to fully open, Sakuno stared at Kirihara.

By that time, Ryoma was able to get Kirihara's attention and the junior ace went after the first year again, leaving Sakuno alone.

Coughing as she fell to the ground, Sakuno still kept her gaze on the junior ace.

She wasn't crazy.

She was sure she saw it.

Kirihara… was crying.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Woot. I finally finished this chapter. I listened to Tenimyu's "Akai Devil" on youtube the entire time I was writing this chapter, hence the title. Lol.

It was a hard chapter to write so I really hope it turned out alright. We finally get an update on what's been happening on the Hyoutei side. In fact, you'll get more glimpses of the Hyoutei regulars very soon (Hint, Hint).There were concerns from some reviewers that I want to address:

- **How long is this fic?**

It is a loooong story. But I think it's finally reaching a point where everything will soon come together. I apologize to everyone who had wanted to know who the murderer is for a long time now. I know it's kind of dragging, but I feel like I won't develop the story well enough if I rushed it. Once again, sorry, and thank you for all your patience.

- **This is a RyoSaku fic, right? What's up with all the KiriSaku?**

There is a reason why I listed Ryoma as the second main character in this story. And I'll just ask you to trust me on that. For now, we're in the Kirihara "arc" (if you will). Ryoma's time will come. Besides, as much as I love and completely adore RyoSaku, I sometimes get pissed at Ryoma for being so apathetic when it comes to Saku-chan's obvious affections for him. So I feel like if he really wants Sakuno, he has to really work for it. He has to earn her affections somehow. Don't you guys think so too? Lol.

Also, my finals are coming up so I hope you guys understand why I'm not updating as often as I do. In fact, I'm not even sure when the next chappie will be out. But for sure, right after my finals, I would focus on finishing this fic.

Please review. I beg all of you.

**Japanese Vocab:**

_Kaa-chan_ – mother

_Dame_ – Don't

_Omae… tsubusu yo _– I'll crush you

_Mou ii _– That's enough


	29. For Him

**XXIX. For Him**

Sakuno continued to stare at the Rikkai junior ace, as if stupefied. In all the time she knew Kirihara, it was the very first time that she has seen the boy cry.

To her, seeing him cry for the first time was like a wake-up call—something that shook her and splashed cold water on her face. For him to display sorrow like that…for him to display internal pain like that…it just wasn't her Akaya-kun. Akaya-kun was always smiling and happy. He always appeared strong and confident in front of her.

But that can't be real, right? As good as he is to her, he cannot always be happy and strong. After all, he is only human—a human who has weaknesses and who can feel pain and suffering too…And yet, he never showed that side to her. Or more importantly, she _never_ sought to see that side of him.

Because he had always been there to smile for her, she had forgotten that he's also human.

She had ignored his pain.

_Just how well do you know him?_

At that precise moment, the simple question caused intense pain in her chest.

'_Gomen nasai_, Akaya-kun.'

Yes, even though she considered herself a close friend of Kirihara, the truth was that she never knew the real him, despite of the fact that Kirihara knew everything about her.

He can always tell when she was upset or when she was genuinely happy. He can even tell from the slightest movement of her lips when she's about to get pissed off. The junior ace was also the only one who found out that she was really scared of spiders…that her favorite flower was actually jasmine, and not cherry blossoms as many people had thought. He knew every little thing about her. He really has come to know her really well.

But what about her? What does she know about him? She didn't know anything beyond the cheerful "front" that he always put up. She never bothered to find out anything beyond that either. She had always been too busy and too preoccupied with her own life…and Ryoma.

Sakuno remembered a time when Kirihara did not visit nor contacted her for a week. Bunta had mentioned something about the junior ace getting in trouble because he had gone devil mode and beaten up some people, but Jackal immediately covered up for Bunta's slip-up and changed the topic right away. She had wondered what that issue was about for a while, though before she can ponder more about the issue, Akaya had already sent her a text message that assured her that everything was fine. He was also back to his cheerful self when he visited her the next day. As the Seigaku team had practice matches during those times, Sakuno's mind was kept busy and she was easily able to let the issue go. She never thought about it again because that was also the week when she had proposed to the prince.

_Horrible._

She had turned a blind eye to his pain.

The brunette finally closed her eyes and allowed tears to fall down her cheeks. How stupid of her. She only realized a very important thing when it was already too late. She should've realized it a long time ago. Yes, she should have realized that…

_She had been utterly selfish_.

Sakuno clenched her fists beside her in intense regret. Ignoring everything else that ached in her body, she soon stood up shakily and slowly went over to the boys.

_Well, not anymore._

_She won't ignore his pain anymore._

_She knew exactly what she had to do._

Ryoma noticed her approaching first. He immediately shot the girl a questioning glare as if to ask what the heck she thinks she was doing. She should stay away from them if she doesn't want to get anymore hurt.

It was useless though. Sakuno missed the look he gave her. She continued to approach them, her bangs covering whatever expression was in her eyes. Upon reaching them, she softly grabbed a hold of Kirihara's bloody shirt. The junior ace, who had his back facing the girl, was a bit surprised by the sudden action.

For a while, both boys simply stared at her as if questioning her sanity.

"Akaya-kun…"

* * *

"Oh crap, it's been blown-up!" Momo uttered in dismay as he stared at the collapsed bridge in front of him.

After Ryoma had left them inside the speeding train, Momo, Kaidoh, and Inui gathered the rest of the regulars for a rescue mission. They used Inui's other GPS tracker and followed Ryoma to Sakuno's location. They were able to enlist the help of all the regulars aside from Tezuka, Fuji, and Taka. The other regulars decided to leave Taka at the hospital to keep track of An's condition. And Fuji…well, they weren't able to find him in time. The _tensai_ had apparently gone out that night; his parents and siblings had no idea where he disappeared to.

"Should we go around and see if there's another bridge that can lead us to the other cliff?" the spiky-haired second year asked the data man who appeared to be calculating their dire situation at the moment.

"_Fshhhhhh_. No use. I ran the perimeter and there appeared to be no other way across this cliff aside from that collapsed bridge," Kaidoh supplemented the answer as he jogged the remaining steps to rejoin his teammates.

"Darn it," Momo cursed their current helplessness.

"What now? We have to get to them as soon as possible. The perpetrator is obviously purposely isolating Ryuzaki-san from the rest of the world. What if something already happened to her?" Oishi said as he frowned worriedly.

"Nothing to worry about! _Ochibi_ should be with her, right? He would surely protect Sakuno-chan with his life!" Eiji uttered with a forced smile, trying to reassure his doubles partner and the rest of the group.

Inui frowned as he considered their options. He had received Sakuno's "emergency" message a few minutes ago. Not even a minute after he had read the contents of her message, he received a call from Yanagi as well. The Rikkai data man informed him that Bunta had received the same message. In addition, Yanagi asked Inui a special favor too. No words needed to be exchanged between the data men as Inui already knew what it was—he was counting on Inui to save his _kouhai_ for him since it'll take the Rikkai regulars a little over an hour to get to the site. Of course, he promised Yanagi he would save his _kouhai_.

Inui couldn't let his childhood friend down. After all, he also has _kouhais_ to protect.

Pulling out his cellphone from his back pocket, the Seigaku's data man stopped short of dialing a certain number. Yes, it might be a bad decision to call _that_ person right now. And considering their current situation, they can't afford to take any risks.

Finally able to make up his mind, Inui dialed a different number. It only took three rings before the person from the other end of the line picked up.

"Sorry to call you this late," Inui apologized to the person in a morose tone. "But I do have an urgent favor to ask of you, Oshitari."

* * *

The room from which he heard suspicious sounds from was located on the second floor of the abandoned building. Trying to move as stealthily as possible, Kabaji bravely proceeded to his destination.

It was the farthest room in the hallway and its door was shut. There was a mysterious blue light coming from under the door, which gave the place an eerie atmosphere. Not worrying about his own safety, Kabaji quickly turned the doorknob and entered the place.

_Fifteen._

He was immediately greeted by a blinding light in the small room. When his eyes finally adjusted, he saw several monitoring screens in front of him. Glancing around, he saw other controlling devices in the room. In fact, the area looked like a patrol station—the type people see in big mansions and congregation halls.

Kabaji's eyes got glued to one of the screens in front of him. He didn't notice what was in it before, since this monitor was on the far, left side of the panel. Inching closer to the said screen, he soon made out the faces of a brown-haired girl and another person, who seemed to be completely covered in red. There was also another boy, but he can barely see him from the angle the camera was showing him.

_Nine._

The giant's eyes soon widened in recognition as he continued to stare at the screen. However, in the next second, he also made out the form of something else on the monitor. This one was bigger in proportion, and oddly enough, the other screens were also reflecting it.

_Five_.

Wait a minute…reflecting?

_Four_.

Kabaji quickly turned around.

_Three_.

His eyes vaguely registered a quick silver flash and an outline of a person.

_Two_.

Finally recognizing the person, he was about to mouth something when he heard three urgent beeps coming from somewhere in the room.

_One_.

**BOOM.**

He realized the danger a bit later than he should have…it was already too late.

* * *

Kirihara chuckled upon hearing his name being called by a soft voice.

The junior ace slowly turned around only to see that the girl he was previously beating was standing in front of him with some difficulty. Her knees were somewhat wobbling.

"I see that you're dumber than you look."

The Rikkai player gave her one dark smirk before he clenched one of his fists and prepared to hit the girl. He had long discarded his bat and opted to inflict injury using only his fists.

Ryoma was dumbfounded when he saw that Sakuno wasn't moving from her position. She just stood there as if prepared to take the attack. Alarmed by her immobility, he forced his abused ankle to move, and quickly slid himself in between the junior ace and the brunette. The prince held up his right arm in defense as he prepared to block the attack of the second year.

That was when a curious thing happened.

Midway to his attack, Kirihara's vision suddenly started to blur and the Rikkai player faltered. He was starting to feel the effects of too much blood loss. The junior ace clutched his head in an attempt to contain his light-headedness.

"Akaya-kun!" Sakuno called again, this time, more confident. She finally looked up and directed her gaze at the junior ace. Tear stains were still visible on her cheeks but gone were the fear and uncertainty that her huge eyes reflected just moments ago.

Now, the look she was giving him was a mix between regret, worry, sorrow… and trust?

Kirihara stared back at her unsteadily, his vision becoming cloudier as seconds go by.

_Those brown eyes_…

He had seen those brown eyes somewhere. Flashes of a smiling girl vaguely invaded his mind and sent painful sensations in his head.

"Damn it!" Kirihara cursed out loud and blindly lashed his free arm at the two before him.

Ryoma instinctively covered Sakuno with his body and took the opportunity to distance both himself and the brunette from the unstable Rikkai player. He ran to the opposite side of the room, huffing as he settled himself and the brunette at a far corner.

Glancing down at the girl who he still held in his arms, he let out a frustrated groan.

"What do you think were you doing?" he hissed angrily.

Sakuno struggled to escape from his arms, sending him a patient look. "Ryoma-kun, I have to help him…Akaya-kun, he's-"

"You're committing suicide." The prince only tightened his hold on her.

"I know what I'm doing."

Golden, feline-like eyes hardened as they continued to stare down at her. "Ryuzaki, he's not himself right now."

Upon hearing those words, Sakuno's eyes flashed intense self-hatred and she averted her gaze from him. "If I don't help him right now, if I'm not able to snap him out of this state right now…I have a feeling that I'll lose him forever." Sakuno looked up at him, now pleading. "I can't lose him, Ryoma-kun!"

_More painful words that mercilessly stabbed his chest…just like back in that train._

Her words had the effect of weakening the prince's grasp. With another powerful tug, she was able to freely escape his arms. Not wasting another second, the brunette was about to head over to Kirihara when she felt a firm tug on her arm. Looking back, Sakuno saw Ryoma's beaten form leaning against the wall. One of his hands was outstretched and firmly grabbing her arm in an attempt to stop her from walking away from him. His cat-like eyes were reflecting distress.

_No._

___He can't let her go this time_.  


"Don't you understand?" Ryoma gritted out. The combined pain from his ankle, his busted shoulder, and cuts all over his body was blinding, and yet… and yet, all he could think about was keeping her safe.

Keeping her with him…away from _him_.

"Ryuzaki, I…" Ryoma's eyes flashed a pleading look for a second, before he looked away from her and glared at the ground instead.

"…I can't lose you too."

And after hearing those words, it was as if the world stood still for Sakuno.

For a moment, she forgot how to breathe. She simply stared at the boy—speechless at his words.

Looking at his handsome face, she saw the bleeding cut that he sustained when he broke through the window. Further down, she saw all the blood that was coming from his busted shoulder, and yet further down again, his broken ankle…All of these, all of these were injuries he sustained just to protect her.

He had been willing to risk his life time and time again just to keep her safe. All of those were _for her_.

And here she was, always doubting whether he cared about her or not.

"R-Ryoma-kun…" she soon tearily uttered when she finally found her voice. The prince kept his gaze on the ground, refusing to meet her eyes. Sakuno took a step towards him and placed her hand over his.

The unexpected touch made Ryoma look back at her.

"You…You won't lose me, Ryoma-kun. Everything will be okay," Sakuno whispered. Their moment was soon cut short by a chilling laugh. A hollow laugh that had a bitter ring.

Looking at the source of the voice, they saw Kirihara standing a few feet away from them. He had apparently recovered and was back to his demonic self—his eyes looked bloodier than ever.

"You two make me sick," he seethed angrily as he looked at them with venom in his eyes. Somehow, there were also faint traces of betrayal and pain that were showing through his red eyes.

"_She will never, ever, love a demon like you. Wake up to reality, you pathetic boy!"_

Within the next second, traces of other emotions were wiped away from his eyes. Only one thing remained—murder.

"If you two can't stand to be away from each other, then why don't you just meet each other in hell?" The junior ace moved as fast as a lightning and was suddenly within an inch of Ryoma and Sakuno. Ryoma was able to push Sakuno out of harm's way before he took the full force of Kirihara's hard fist on his stomach.

* * *

A man confidently barged into the spacious Atobe compound. He ignored the agents and guards who followed his tracks.

One meek agent attempted to converse with the guy. "Oshitari-sama, what a pleasant surprise." The agent forced a smile on his face before he wiped nervous sweat from his forehead with a girly-looking handkerchief. "Atobe-sama is away on business for the night."

Although the guards and agents were wary about allowing a person into the compound since Atobe had specifically instructed that no one should be allowed into the mansion whenever he's gone, they simply cannot kick Oshitari out due to his status as a close friend and teammate of their master.

Oshitari merely sent the guy a polite smile before he headed towards the right wing of the mansion. "I apologize for intruding this late but I need to borrow something from Atobe as soon as possible."

The agent wringed his hands, now more nervous than ever, as he desperately tried to keep up with Oshitari's long strides. "But like I mentioned, Atobe-sama isn't in the-"

"I shall take full responsibility," Oshitari gallantly assured the guy.

Although the agent had to think about the proposal for a moment, he finally acquiesced in the end with a sigh.

"Very well, what can we do for Oshitari-sama tonight?"

The blue-haired player from Hyoutei flashed a rueful smile on his handsome face before he answered the agent.

"Oh, nothing big. I just want to borrow one of Atobe's helicopters."

The agent almost had a heart attack.

* * *

Ryoma coughed out blood as his body attempted to recover from the attack. Kirihara was going to go for another punch when Sakuno lunged at him and hugged his arm.

"Akaya-kun! Snap out of it!"

The junior ace flung her across the room with a wave of his arm and the brunette slid a few paces across the floor. Cold and emotionless, Kirihara slowly approached Sakuno's location.

_No, she won't give up on him…Not this way._

Blinking away her tears, she tried to get up again._  
_

Meanwhile, Ryoma fought to keep an eye open, trying to see what was happening in front of him. He was also about to faint from all of the burning sensations he's feeling all over his body. Summoning his remaining strength, he tried to stand up before he was stopped by a soft, yet strong voice.

"_Dame_, Ryoma-kun!" Sakuno shot him a begging look. "Please let me help him."

Ryoma simply took a deep and painful breath, before looking back at the girl with stubbornness in his eyes. He already established it with himself before—he can never just leave her alone in the face of danger. _Not ever_.

But Sakuno remained stubborn as well. She kept a confident look on her face and looked at Ryoma beseechingly.

"Ryoma-kun trusts me, right?"

_No effing way._

"Ryoma-kun said he trusts me, right?" she repeated, showing strength in her voice.

Ryoma stared at her incredulously. _How dare she use those words on him?_

"Then please prove it to me."

The two continued to stare at each other, their stubborn wills silently battling each other.

Hearing his words thrown back at him like that shook Ryoma's resolve. How is he going to keep his resolution now?

Before Ryoma could give his approval, Kirihara already reached Sakuno and stooped down to grab her arm. He hoisted the limp figure of the brunette as before, and then glared up at her threateningly.

"Help me?" Kirihara let out a disbelieving, maniacal laugh. "How the hell are you going to help me?"

"_Oi, Romeo. You do realize that you're loving a girl from the 'enemy' camp, right?" his Niou-senpai had one day asked him. "What's so special about this girl that you're willing to give up your lunch money and risk a life-time punishment under Sanada's supervision?"_

_Marui Bunta just chuckled. "Well, Sakuno-chan is super cute and definitely a good catch."_

"_Baka senpai! That's not why I like her. That's pretty shallow, you know," Kirihara had defended himself proudly. Although he thinks that Sakuno is indeed the cutest girl in this planet, he was sure that wasn't why he likes her so much._

"_Then why do you like her so much?"_

"_I…I just like her, alright? She's…different," Kirihara had bluffed just to end the conversation, but the truth was… back then, even he didn't know why he likes the girl so much._

"You're just like every single one of them. No effing difference!" Kirihara shouted maliciously before forcefully throwing the girl away from him.

Sakuno hit the floor once again. Ryoma was so close to snapping as he saw the girl wince in pain. It was like a slow, agonizing torture to him. Seeing her in pain like that made him want to kill Kirihara in cold blood now. And he was just about to do that when he saw Sakuno trying to stand up again. She was making a move to crawl back to the junior ace.

Even Kirihara was a bit surprised by her actions. Either she's really stupid…or really suicidal. Why else would she keep trying to get close to a person who was trying to kill her?

Unsettled by this, Kirihara walked over to her and painfully kicked her in the side. He wanted to see fear and disgust on her face again. This new pathetic front she's displaying was starting to disturb him.

"You're right…Right now, I honestly don't know how I can help you." Sakuno weakly crawled towards him again. "And I know…it's my fault…because I never understood…I never sought to know the real Akaya-kun."

"Shut up!" Kirihara kicked her again, wanting her to stop acting pathetically already. "'Akaya-kun' this, 'Akaya-kun' that! Don't effing call me like you're so familiar with me! It disgusts me!"

Surprisingly enough, she never gave up. No matter how many times Kirihara kicked her, she still tried to get up from her fallen position and approach him.

"_Dakara… gomen nasai_, Akaya-kun."

Those words froze both Ryoma and Kirihara. They simply stared at her incredulously. Here was a girl who was being beaten to death and she's apologizing?

"_G-gomen nasai…_" She cried regretfully as tears cascaded down her cheeks. Nevertheless, she tried to stand up and approach Kirihara again.

"…If I could only turn back time, if Akaya-kun would only give me a second chance…I would like to know…everything. Everything about Akaya-kun. What he fears…what he hates…what pisses him off…what hurts him. You won't ever have to put up a front for me anymore."

Kirihara stared at her with a confused look now. Somehow, her words were starting to have an effect on him.

But he shouldn't let himself be deceived. It was all just an illusion. How can it be true? How can she truly care for a devil?

"Liar! You're nothing but a liar. If you truly want to help me like you say you do, why don't you die to make me happy?" he seethed in spite as he grabbed her neck and slammed her against a wall. He started to tighten his hold on her, choking the frail girl slowly. "Die for me!"

Ryoma tried to get up from his position. Darn trusting and all. Sakuno can hate him all she wants later. He cannot just stand still and watch her die in front of him like that.

Sakuno closed her eyes, more tears falling down her eyes. She desperately tried to open her eyes again in order to look at Kirihara. The junior ace frowned as he stared back at her.

There wasn't a hint of fear nor hatred in her eyes—only sorrow and resolution.

"If…that's what Akaya-kun wants… then so be it," she uttered with difficulty, now really gasping for breath. "It's stupid…and pathetic. But…I don't want to lose you, Akaya-kun…I need you…And this time…for sure…this time, Akaya-kun…I want to be the one…" The brunette struggled to lift an arm and place her hand softly on top of Kirihara's hand—the very same hand that was choking her.

Kirihara struggled to keep control within his head. Something about this seemed very wrong to him. Flashes of memories were beginning to invade his mind.

Memories of her smile.

Memories of the fond feeling he felt on his chest whenever he was with her.

Memories of her laugh.

All memories of her.

"This time…"

Yes, just like all the times Kirihara had been there to make sure she's okay…to make sure she's always happy…

With Sakuno's remaining strength, she dropped a rectangular piece of metal attached to a chain on top of Kirihara's hand. It had the initials K.A. engraved on it—the symbol of his devotion to her. "…I also want to make Akaya-kun smile," the brunette uttered with her remaining breath, a faint smile etched on her face as she looked at him.

And that did it for Kirihara.

Unconsciously, tears started to run down his own cheeks.

Blood-shot eyes changed to cloudy green.

A moment of silence passed in which Sakuno finally allowed her eyes to close. She almost succumbed to the tempting calls of unconsciousness and peace. The brunette was completely exhausted. But before she knew it, the hand that was choking her was removed and she was suddenly able to breathe normally. On top of all of that, Sakuno found herself engulfed by a pair of familiar arms.

It was like the time he hugged her during that one dark night on a street in Tokyo. His arms were as comforting and gentle as she remembered them to be.

A few seconds later, she was overjoyed when she heard a familiar, warm chuckle reverberating from the chest of the person who was currently hugging her. It sounded so weak but she was glad to hear it nonetheless, especially since she believed just a few seconds ago that she would never ever hear it again.

"Heheh…Guess what, Sa-chan?"

Sakuno looked up and was so glad to see familiar emerald eyes staring back at her. They were half-shut from complete exhaustion but they still stared at her earnestly. "I finally figured out…why I like you so much." His emerald eyes softened considerably as he drew her body closer to him in a tighter embrace.

Kirihara softly gave Sakuno a chaste kiss on her forehead as his eyes started to close. "I like you so much, Sa-chan…I have…for a long time now."

The junior ace managed to mutter his last words in a whisper before he passed out on the brunette. Sakuno attempted to catch him and break his fall but they both ended up sliding against the wall. The girl cannot support the second year's weight. Down on the ground, Sakuno simply chose to cradle him on her lap, all the while, looking at the boy with a fond smile on her face.

"It's finally over, Akaya-kun. You can rest now." The brunette hugged his head tenderly, so grateful to have him back.

Yes, for now…it's over.

Meanwhile, a few steps away, the prince watched the entire scene with a scorching pain and heaviness in his heart. His golden eyes boldly displayed the raw pain that he was feeling at that moment.

When he saw Sakuno embracing the junior ace, he wasn't able to look at them any longer. The prince turned his head away.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

After a long break, I finally uploaded the next chapter. I'm so sorry this one took a while. I seriously lost my interest in writing for a while, so yeah. Thanks to all your reviews, however, I got motivated to add yet another chappie to my ridiculously long fic.

The waiting is almost done, however. In the next chappie, or next, next chappie, something big is going to happen that I'm sure most of you would look forward to.

Please stay tuned and review!

**Japanese Vocab:**

_Gomen nasai_ – I'm sorry

_Kouhai_ – underclassman

_Baka senpai_ – stupid senpai

_Dakara_ – that's why


	30. Remembered

**XXX. Remembered**

"…oranges…but they should be…"

_That voice_…

It sounded so familiar to her.

"…is…fine."

And so did that other one. She strained her ears and tried to listen better.

"_Demo_…"

"Why don't you go for now while I stay? Your voice is a little too loud."

"But I want to stay with Sakuno-chaaan."

"You can come back with the others later."

"_Demoooo_…"

"Go now."

"_Nya_, you're horrible!" the other person grumpily muttered before the sound of a door opening and closing was heard.

_Was that…?_

Bright white light.

That's the first thing that greeted her when she tried to open her eyes.

"_I-Itai_…" Sakuno softly muttered as the light's intensity temporarily obstructed her vision. When she opened her eyes again, she saw a blurry form of a person standing by her side and looking down at her.

"K-Kunimitsu-_nii_?"

That was the first thing that popped out of her mouth when she saw the form. It was like an automatic reaction. But sadly, when her eyes finally adjusted to the light, she saw the kind and smiling face of her Oishi-_senpai_.

"Ryuzaki-san, thank goodness you're awake. Do you hurt anywhere?" the vice captain asked in a soothing voice.

Despite of the fact that Sakuno's entire body was sore, she slowly shook her head in response, before she turned her face from the vice captain and tried to make sense of her surroundings. She was able to make out white walls and a white ceiling.

'Where am I?' Her mind tried to piece together the latest events that she can remember.

'This looks like…'

When everything finally became clear to her, she sat up so quickly that Oishi was alarmed.

"Ryoma-kun and Akaya-kun! Where are they?" the brunette asked, a look of panic clearly showing in her eyes.

The motherly vice captain tried to make her lie back down in an effort to calm her. "They are both fine. You shouldn't strain yourself like that for a while, Ryuzaki-san. Although the nurse said that you only sustained minor injuries, you can still re-hurt your shoulder."

But Sakuno refused to lie back down. She was still looking at Oishi with that panicked expression.

"Echizen is at another room in this hospital. He's doing perfectly fine and has mostly recovered from his injuries. They needed to perform a surgery to fix his broken ankle but it'll only take a short amount of time until it's fully healed. He has come by your room a couple of times claiming to be 'bored.' Though we suspect that it wasn't his main reason, considering that his room is located two floors up and it's so much of a hassle for him to go out of his way just to randomly walk by this place." Oishi smiled a bit at his statement.

Sakuno took in Oishi's information and became slightly more at ease. "And Akaya-kun?" she asked, still worried. She felt a jab at her chest when she saw Oishi drop his smile.

"Kirihara-kun is…still unconscious. From what I heard, he had lost too much blood so his body is having a hard time recovering." Oishi saw Sakuno secretly clutch the bed sheets when she heard the junior ace's condition. "But don't worry, he's in a stable condition," he added quickly to assuage the brunette's concern.

"_S-sou_…" Sakuno said in a cheerless voice.

"You can visit him later, if you'd like. He's in room 216, one floor down."

Oishi received a nod from the brunette before she flung away the thin sheet covering her lower body and tried to get out of bed.

"Ah, _matte matte_, Ryuzaki-san. It's probably best if a nurse checks you first, just to make sure everything's okay." The vice captain smiled meekly before pressing the call light button for the nurse.

Sakuno looked down and absent-mindedly stared at her legs. "Oishi-_senpai_."

The Seigaku player stopped upon hearing his name being called. "_Hai_?"

"Would you mind telling me what happened first? How did we-"

"Get out of the locked building?" Oishi kindly supplied for her.

"_Hai_," Sakuno answered, frowning.

Oishi took a seat beside her bed before he started his long explanation.

"I shall try to explain as briefly as possible since the nurse is coming soon. _Gomen nasai _for this, but Inui trusted Echizen to closely monitor you after we heard that Kirihara-kun was missing. As you already know, he followed you first to that location on that night. We, in turn, followed Echizen a couple of minutes later. When we got there, however, the bridge that can lead us to the other side of the cliff was already blown-up. We ended up asking Oshitari for a favor since we figured one of Atobe's helicopters would allow us to cross the cliff and quickly get to you guys in time. From there, it was just a matter of us breaking into the bolted door with combined forces. We saw you and Kirihara-kun passed out on the corner of the dark building. Echizen was still conscious when we got there. He's the one who told us that we arrived just in time before he, too, fell unconscious. We rushed all three of you to the nearest hospital in Tokyo. And since that night, you had been sleeping for at least a day and a half."

_A day and a half?_

_But then, that means…_

Sakuno's brown eyes widened and she started panicking again. "_Obaa-chan_! How-"

"Ryuuzaki-_sensei_ doesn't know anything yet," Oishi answered immediately. "Although we thought that she deserved to know that truth, we figured that it probably wouldn't help her current health condition. We apologize for this but we had to make an excuse so she wouldn't find out what happened. It was hard establishing an excuse without Tezuka, since she trusts Tezuka the most, but with a little help from Nanjiroh-san, we were able to make her believe one."

"An excuse?" Sakuno asked, a bit confused.

"That Nanako-san and Echizen's mom asked you to come over to their house for a few days of cooking lessons. We thought she wouldn't buy it, but since she has meetings to attend for another full day, she reluctantly acquiesced. Whether you want to tell her the truth or not later on is up to you, Ryuzaki-san."

Sakuno let out a relieved sigh, grateful that her _obaa_-chan wouldn't have to worry about her for now. But one thing suddenly came to her mind and her face took on a look of sadness.

"K-Kunimitsu-_nii_…Is he…back yet?" Sakuno asked with uncertainty in her voice. She was afraid to know the answer but she wanted to know anyway. Usually, the first one to be by her side when she gets hurt or injured is the stoic captain of the Seigaku team. In fact, during the last time she was hospitalized for accidentally falling down the stairs, Tezuka was the first one she saw when she opened her eyes. The captain barely left her side during the whole ordeal. He basically represented as Sakuno's family member—sort of like a big brother figure to her. It was definitely nice since her _obaa_-chan was, once again, away from home during that time.

Maybe that's also why she had unconsciously called for him when she woke up a few minutes ago. She had gotten used to him being by her side whenever a tragic thing happens.

"We still can't contact him," Oishi answered with regret in his eyes. "But I left him a voicemail, just in case." Seeing the dreary look on the girl's face, the vice captain tried to change the topic. "But the other regulars have come here frequently. We've all been very worried about you, Echizen, and of course, Kirihara-kun, as well. In fact, Eiji was just here a few minutes ago. I sent him back to school since he was just being loud in here. He will be back along with the others, later on, after classes end."

Sakuno gave him another nod. Oishi was about to say something else when they heard knocks from the door before the nurse came in. She politely asked Oishi if he can leave the room for a while so she can perform her assessments. Of course, the vice captain complied.

"Oishi-_senpai_!" the brunette's voice softly called the vice captain again before he was fully out of the room.

"_Hai_, Ryuzaki-san?" Oishi asked, partially turning his head to look back at her. He saw Sakuno give him one of her sweet smiles. It was not as bright as her usual ones, but he can definitely see that she's putting all her effort into it.

"_Arigatou_…for everything. I really appreciate you taking care of me," the girl said with complete honesty in her voice. After all, it was indeed nice of the vice captain to skip classes just to make sure someone could take care of her. And what did she do the entire time he stayed with her? Ask for everyone else but him. She definitely owes the vice captain some gratitude, and perhaps, an apology.

On the other hand, Oishi couldn't help but return her warm smile with one of his own. It's so like her to still be considering other people's feelings even when her world was literally turning upside down. He suddenly found himself thinking that Echizen is really one heck of a lucky guy to be receiving all of this girl's devotion. _Or if that is still the case, anyway._

"It was nothing. My only wish is for you to get well as soon as possible."

The nurse started tapping her right foot as an indication that she's getting impatient. Oishi then decided to say his farewells before the nurse decides to literally kick him out of the room.

"Very well, I shall see you in a short while. Rest for now, Ryuzaki-san."

"_Hai_!" was the obedient reply of the girl.

* * *

The number at the center of the door labeled the place as Room 216.

Sakuno had been standing in front of this very same door for almost five minutes before she finally gave the door three hesitant knocks. She didn't wait long for her knocks to get answered. Unfortunately, Sanada's stern face was the first thing she saw when the door opened.

Silence.

"_A-ano_…" Sakuno started to say but didn't know how to continue. The _fukubuchou_'s presence alone was already making her nervous—especially now that his grayish-brown eyes seemed like they were boring deep into her soul.

The two continued to stare at each other for an awkward minute before Sanada finally spoke.

"Come in."

It took a while for his words to register in the brunette's mind, and then a while again for their meaning to sink in. When it finally did, she hastened to give him a respectful bow and a soft "_a__rigatou gozaimasu_" before she took one step into the room. The _fukubuchou_ stiffly stepped aside to allow her to pass through.

Once inside, Sakuno immediately noticed the person lying on the bed at the center of the room. Half of his body was covered by long white sheets. He appeared so still that she wanted to get close to him just to assure herself that he's still alive and breathing.

Sakuno was about to approach Kirihara when another presence beside the junior ace's bed literally froze her on her spot.

Her big eyes couldn't help but roam slowly from the person's elegant, wavy, blue hair to his perfectly chiseled face. The trademark light green headband was absent from his forehead as he is currently wearing the Rikkai Dai school uniform. Belatedly, she noticed that his gorgeous eyes, which suitably match his hair color, were also staring at her as if intrigued by her sudden appearance. This latter concern made the brunette more insecure and nervous. She stood there in the middle of the room, just staring wide-eyed at the Rikkai captain.

One cannot blame her, however. Although she had heard thousands of stories about him from the other Rikkai regulars, this was her first time to meet the "child of God" face-to-face. Aside from Sanada, he is probably the only other person in Rikkai who can inflict fear and anxiety with just his presence. He was a very intimidating person, indeed. In fact, she felt a little more at ease being stared down by Sanada than by Yukimura. At least you can somewhat decipher Sanada's assessment of a person by looking at his facial expressions. On the other hand, with Yukimura, one can never know.

Before she can utter a word, the Rikkai captain elegantly stood up from his sitting position and gave her a disconcerting smile.

"Ryuzaki Sakuno, I presume?" his soft, melodic voice asked her.

Sakuno tried her best not to tremble before him. "_H-hai_._"_ She gave a hesitant bow in front of Yukimura. "_Yoroshiku onegaishimasu_. It's a great pleasure to finally meet you, Yukimura-san."

As if satisfied with her answer, Yukimura allowed his smile to widen.

"The pleasure is all mine."

The _buchou_'s eyes then wandered over to Sanada's, as if silently communicating something with him. Sakuno politely glanced down to give them privacy. She felt so out of place in the room. Although she knows that it makes perfect sense for the two to be by Kirihara's bedside, she silently wished that at least one of the other friendlier Rikkai regulars was around to make her feel a little more relaxed.

"I-I can come back later. Sorry for disturbing you," the brunette soon muttered.

"There is no need." Yukimura briefly closed his eyes and walked towards her. She almost panicked thinking that he was going to do something to her. After all, she had heard rumors about his unusual talent that can easily take away people's senses.

She couldn't help but breathe out a sigh of relief when Yukimura walked past her, apparently heading towards the door. Sakuno helplessly followed him with her eyes.

"Sanada and I were just about to head out to get some cups of tea. Please feel free to stay if you'd like," Yukimura informed her as he watched her from the sides of his eyes. "We'll be back in about ten minutes," he finally added before he went out the door. Sanada spent a few seconds staring at her before he finally followed Yukimura and left the brunette alone in the room with Kirihara.

Staring at the recently closed door, Sakuno frowned.

_Ten minutes_.

It sounded more like a time limit than just random information blurted out.

* * *

When they were safely out of Sakuno's earshot, Sanada gave his companion a sideways glance before focusing on walking along the corridor. "Yukimura, I still haven't been punished for my recent blunders. If it wasn't for her…" The _fukubuchou_'s eyes narrowed.

The Rikkai captain sent him an easy smile. "We can discuss that later. Right now, we have more important things to think about."

Sanada didn't respond right away. He appeared to be mulling over an idea in his head.

"You're right," the _fukubuchou_ finally uttered as a late response—an indication that he understood what the other player meant.

* * *

A minute passed by.

Then another.

And another.

She soon lost track of how long she's been standing there beside Kirihara's bed, just staring at his lifeless form and not doing anything else. Looking at his pale face that was decorated by bandages and several band-aids, she thought that he looked like he was just sleeping—his favorite hobby aside from video games and tennis. She had seen him sleep a lot of times before—in the bus, at the library while she's helping him with his English homework, and even at the movie theatres. But this time…

This time, she knew it was a different story.

She had asked the nurse how Ryoma and Kirihara were doing while the lady was assessing her about an hour ago. Not that she didn't trust her Oishi-_senpai_, it was simply because she wanted to know more specific details about their conditions. She found out from the nurse that Oishi was pretty much accurate about Ryoma's state. In fact, as soon as his ankle gets semi-healed, they were planning to release him from the hospital. On the other hand, she found out something else about Kirihara's condition that Oishi either hid from her or forgot to mention. She doesn't blame the vice captain if it was the former. He was most likely just worried about her. But still, that didn't help with the pain that she now felt in her chest.

The nurse had told Sakuno that if Kirihara didn't wake up within this week, he might permanently slip into a coma and be in a vegetable state for the rest of his life. And it was all her fault. No wonder Sanada and Yukimura acted cold towards her a while ago. They probably blame her for what happened to their _kouhai_.

Just thinking about the junior ace's condition made her feel light-headed again and slightly dizzy. _It's too much_. There's just too much stress in her life right now. _But still…_

The brunette shook her head to try to clear her head.

_She must remain strong_. _For Kirihara, for Ryoma, and for the rest of her friends_.

Yes, they _will_ get through this together.

Sakuno placed a hand over one of Kirihara's limp ones. Gently, she forced his hand to open a little and inserted a tag necklace in his fist—his lucky charm. She had found the object on top of the bedside table in her hospital room a few minutes ago. One of their rescuers had probably found the thing on that night and had taken it with them when they were rushed to the hospital. Why they put it on her bedside table, she didn't have a clue, especially since the initials "K.A" was clearly written on it.

"Here, I am returning this to you, Akaya-kun," Sakuno whispered to the junior ace as she looked at him. Tears were starting to collect in her eyes again but she blinked them away. She must remain strong for him.

"If you want me to take it back, then you must personally give it to me, okay? I won't take it any other way. Besides, didn't you promise to take me out this Sunday?" The brunette tightened her hold on his hand. "You promised, didn't you?" she asked, now with desperation in her voice.

"_Dakara_…I'll wait for you to wake up." She tried to breathe in and breathe out just to keep control of her emotions. "I'll be waiting, so please…_please_ wake up soon."

Before she can say anything more, soft but urgent knocks rudely interrupted her concentration. Curiously, she looked at the door and headed towards it.

Was her ten minutes up already? If so, then that must be Yukimura and Sanada.

But another surprise awaited her when she opened the door.

Sakuno stared at the person in front of her, definitely not expecting him out of everyone else to be in front of Kirihara's room.

* * *

Inui, Renji, and Oshitari sat around a table in one of the meeting rooms at Hyoutei Academy. The three had spent the last hour discussing and analyzing their current problem. But no matter how many deductions they were able to formulate, nothing sounded probable without any solid evidence or proof.

"Where is he?"

It was the Seigaku data man who had asked the question.

"If you mean Genichirou, he's still at the hospital guarding Akaya," Yanagi supplied the answer.

"'Guarding' is just the right term for what he's doing," was the smart comment of the blue-haired Hyoutei regular.

Inui and Yanagi sent him a knowing look.

"He should be covered already. I already sent someone," Yanagi said. "Our problem is the remaining three who are now all missing."

That's right. Apparently, no one has seen Atobe since he left his house that Sunday night. None of his agents knew or had any idea where he went and where he is now.

"If only we can trigger her memory somehow, then perhaps, we can finally have a lead," the Seigaku data man offhandedly said as he stared at his notebook.

No one said a word after Inui's comment.

* * *

"Ryoma-kun?" Sakuno, stared at him, wide-eyed. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in your room? You're putting stress on your ankle."

The brunette worriedly reprimanded the prince as she went out of Kirihara's room and softly shut the door behind her.

Ryoma didn't say a word in reply. He just looked at Sakuno with a slight hint of relief in his eyes. When he walked by her room and found her gone a while ago, he was alarmed, and his first instinct was to check this room.

Apparently, his instincts had been right.

'Why the heck did she visit him first?' he couldn't help but ask himself in dismay. Nevertheless, he was glad to see that she was alright and that nothing had happened to her.

"Ryoma-kun?" Sakuno asked again, lifting a hand to softly touch his face. "Are you okay?" the brunette worriedly asked.

Her touch brought a hot rush of blood to the prince's cheeks and he turned his head away to hide it from her.

"I was…just passing by," he lamely uttered, not even knowing why he was lying to her. He repositioned himself with the help of his crutches and signaled for her to follow him.

"You should go back to your room before the nurses start looking for you."

Sakuno could only nod at him. He sent Kirihara's shut door one last look before she followed the prince.

There was an awkward silence between the two as they walked along the corridor. Both want to say something to the other but neither knew how to start the conversation. After all, this is the first time they were alone together since that horrible night.

Yes, a lot of things happened on that night that needs to be discussed and yet, they somehow didn't want to talk about it. At least, _not yet_.

Perhaps, it was because they both fear that saying something right now would finalize everything. And they didn't want that. Not right now when their heads are both clouded and distracted by other things—other more important things.

"_Ano_…I'm being released this afternoon," Sakuno uttered to break the awkward silence. She wisely steered away from discussing what happened on that night.

Ryoma didn't say anything.

"I'm going home to see _obaa-chan_, but I'm coming back right away. After all, I need to help Ryoma-kun and Akaya-kun too," she continued as they entered an elevator. Ryoma pushed the button for her floor. He was planning to walk her back before he heads to his own.

The two quickly reached Sakuno's floor since it was only one floor up from Kirihara's. Silence was once again observed between them as they walked towards her room.

"Is Oishi-_senpai_ picking you up?" This time, it was Ryoma who broke it. It seemed like he only spoke because he needed to know if somebody can accompany her safely back to her house, since he obviously couldn't. Not at his current state. He would be useless to her.

"_Hai_," was Sakuno's soft reply as she opened the door to her room when they finally reached it. She glanced back at Ryoma to ask him a question.

"D-Does Ryoma-kun want to come in for a bit?" she hesitantly uttered, wanting to be close to Ryoma and yet far away from him at the same time.

"No."

His reply was automatic, as if he didn't even consider her proposal for a second. It somehow hurt Sakuno.

"I see." Sakuno smiled to hide her feelings. She expected him to leave right away but surprisingly, he just stood there, staring at the ground.

"I'm…gonna go in then," the brunette finally said.

Ryoma just nodded. But before she can close the door on him, Ryoma approached her.

"Be careful," he told her with genuine concern in his eyes before he turned around and hobbled back towards the elevator with his crutches.

Sakuno couldn't help but stare after him with sadness in her eyes.

'Ryoma-kun…'

For some reason, she suddenly got the feeling that they won't be seeing each other for a long time.

* * *

"Are you ready, Ryuzaki-san?" Oishi asked the girl, waiting for her in front of the room.

Sakuno was in the process of placing the last "get well soon" card from one of the regulars inside a paper bag.

"_Hai_, just a minute, Oishi-_senpai_." After she looked around the room and made sure that she didn't forget anything, she headed towards the door to meet the vice captain.

She smiled at him. "All ready."

The vice captain nodded and smiled back before taking the paper bag from her. "I'll carry this for you. We should probably get go-" Oishi started to say but was cut short by an unexpected presence. The person was standing in front of Oishi and looking at both of him and Sakuno.

"Sanada?" Oishi uttered in surprise.

Sanada directed his gaze to Sakuno and spoke in his deep baritone. "I heard that you're being released. Before you go, may I have a private word with you?"

Wary of how that sounded like, Oishi suddenly felt the need to shield the girl from his fellow vice captain. "Now is probably not the best time, Sanada, she only-"

"It's okay, Oishi-_senpai_." Sakuno placed a hand on Oishi's arm and sent him an assuring smile. "I shall be back as soon as possible."

The motherly vice captain frowned, but couldn't help but acquiesce. After all, he doesn't have the power to deny her the right to talk to anyone.

"I shall wait here," Oishi just said, sending an indirect warning to Sanada.

The Rikkai_ fukubuchou_ sent him one quick glance before leading Sakuno away to an isolated hallway.

* * *

Sakuno stared at Sanada's back, waiting for him to say a word.

They had been standing in the hallway for a minute now and he still hasn't said a thing.

"S-Sanada-san?" she hesitantly called.

"I heard what happened from the Seigaku regulars," Sanada finally started. "You rushed to the scene of action carelessly, thoughtlessly, and without any consideration to the people around you."

Sakuno lowered her head and felt abashed. Sanada's words were true enough. That's basically what she did when she tried to rescue Kirihara from the clutch of that madman.

"Even after your friends had warned you, and even after I had specifically told you to inform us immediately if you hear anything from Akaya, you still stubbornly went through your foolish plan without thinking that it could only endanger both yourself and Akaya's life even more," the _fukubuchou_ continued, the anger in his tone piercing straight through the brunette's heart.

"_G-gomen nasai_," was all Sakuno could say as she stared at the ground with guilt in her eyes. She never expected for Sanada to like her. Nope, definitely not. From what she knew about him and from what she heard from the other Rikkai regulars, he was a very hard person to please and to get approval from. Nevertheless, she had always wanted to personally meet the _fukubuchou_. She had wanted to know the man who is both admired and feared by her Rikkai friends.

Unfortunately, their first meeting went worse than she expected as it came in the form of a crisis and the news that Kirihara was missing. Even then, she had unconsciously wished that their next meeting would go a little smoother. But as luck had it, it didn't go as she hoped because here he is, scolding her for her foolishness. She had a feeling that after what she did that night, he would never ever forgive her.

"However," There was a dramatic pause, as if Sanada was carefully choosing his next words.

"You also showed courage and loyalty on that night." His tone had changed. It had somewhat softened, though still retained its deepness. "That was something…" Sanada continued, finally turning around to face the girl, "…that I do admire."

To say that Sakuno was surprised was definitely an understatement. Just a few seconds ago, she thought that Sanada would forever hate her and now he's suddenly saying that he admires her values? Just what is going on?

"_E-eh?_ But-" the brunette started to say before Sanada cut her off.

"Those values are what saved Akaya in the end." Yes, they were what saved his favorite _kouhai_…both physically, mentally, and emotionally—in fact, in every way possible. "And for that, I am forever indebted to you."

Sanada ended his words with a deep bow. If anyone saw their positions at that moment, it would look as if a feudal samurai was bowing to a princess—a princess who he personally chose to serve.

Sakuno stood frozen, unable to believe what was happening. When everything sunk in, she started freaking out and shaking her head.

"N-no, please don't bow, Sanada-san, I didn't- It was my fault that-"

"_Tarundoru!_" Sanada suddenly shouted, making the girl flinch. "You should accept when people give their utmost gratitude to you. It's the proper manner of accepting gratitude."

"_H-hai, g-gomen nasai_. I-I accept, Sanada-san, and thank you as well," she uttered quickly in fear before they were suddenly interrupted by a pleasant laugh. Both Sanada and Sakuno glanced at the unexpected source of the chuckle.

"Niou?" Sanada questioned in surprise.

The trickster revealed himself from his hidden position at the corner of the hallway and headed towards them.

"Don't worry, _jou-chan_. That's his way of saying 'welcome to the family.' After all, this guy just doesn't say '_Tarundoru_' to anyone," he informed the girl easily, flashing her his cool smile.

Sakuno could only blink at him. "_E-eh?_" she asked, totally confused.

"Either way, you should probably head back to your _senpai_. He looked like he was ready to charge here any minute now when I passed by him a couple of minutes ago." Niou winked at her, causing the poor brunette to blush a pretty shade of pink.

"_H-hai_," was all the brunette could say. She glanced at Sanada and politely asked if she can go now. Sanada nodded stiffly.

"_Arigatou gozaimasu. _I shall be back later if you need anything else from me." Sakuno gave both boys a bow and a curt smile before she jogged away and headed back to Oishi.

The boys stared after her running form.

"She's really cute, huh?" Niou teased after seeing that Sanada was still staring at the direction Sakuno disappeared to. "Too bad she's too young for you."

Sanada cleared his throat and was almost tempted to hit his teammate. Judging from his redder-than-usual cheeks, Niou's comments apparently caught the_ fukubuchou_ off guard.

"Listening in on private conversations is considered blatantly rude," he sternly reprimanded the trickster. Niou merely shrugged it off.

"Yanagi was the one who sent me to 'ya."

The trickster's eyes suddenly turned serious before they flashed a dangerous playful glint. "After all, we do have a couple of questions to ask you."

* * *

Tokyo Station, 3:45 pm.

"_Moshi moshi._ _Obaa-chan_?"

Sakuno was waiting for Oishi to purchase their train tickets when her cellphone rang. Ryuzaki-_sensei_ immediately bombarded her granddaughter with questions.

"_Hai, hai. Gomen nasai_. I'm on my way back now. I shall see you in a few minutes," Sakuno apologized over the phone.

"Well, what else can I do but wait," Ryuzaki-_sensei_ muttered as she sighed. "Very well, but next time you go to a sleep over, at least clean your room first before you leave. I know that you were probably too excited to come over to that bratty boy's house but you didn't have to leave your room in a mess. That's so unlike you, Sakuno," the old coach commented in concern.

"_E-eh_? My room is a mess?" Sakuno asked, now confused. As far as she can remember, it was neat and tidy when she left it.

"Yes, the drawers were left open and your journals were out. Things were all over the floor. Just what do you think you're doing?"

'_Masaka…_' Sakuno's brown eyes widened, suddenly feeling her heartbeat accelerate.

"Sakuno? Sakuno?" Ryuzaki-_sensei_ called once she didn't get any replies from her granddaughter.

"I-I have to go now, _obaa-chan_. Our train is here," the brunette hurriedly bluffed, wanting to hang up as soon as possible. "I shall see you at home, _obaa-chan_, _jya ne_."

Then she immediately ended the call.

Sakuno bowed her head, holding it in between her hands, as she tried not to panic. She already has a strong suspicion as to what happened to her room. Somebody obviously broke in and searched there. As to who, well, there could only be one person.

And that was the murderer.

That murderer was in her house looking for something! What if he was there when her _obaa-chan_ arrived? Then he could've…

The brunette shut her eyes tightly as a splitting headache came. She was starting to feel light-headed again. She hated it. She hated how everything horrible is happening right now. She wished she could turn back time…

Maybe, maybe if they never went to that darn festival, then none of this would've happened. None of the other players would've been hurt. Kunimitsu-_nii_, An-chan, and Akaya-kun would've still been by her side. And Ryoma-kun wouldn't have been hurt so badly.

Yes, maybe…

Then suddenly, something became very clear to her.

Yes, the festival!

_Tanabata_.

The last word Shiraishi texted to her before he mysteriously disappeared.

Perhaps, she can find her answers if she returned to that place.

Looking around, she saw that Oishi was still in a long line, waiting for his turn to get their tickets. She felt bad as she thought of what she was planning to do. The temple where the _Tanabata _festival was held was only a few blocks from the station. But if she told Oishi her plan, he would never approve…

Sakuno closed her eyes; a decision was already made in her mind. Wishing that Oishi would someday forgive her, she sneaked out of his view, and quickly headed towards the temple.

* * *

'This is it. The place where Akutsu-san was…' The brunette left the thought unfinished as she huffed from exhaustion and tried to catch her breath. She ran all the way from the station to the temple. She couldn't waste a second. She has to get back to Oishi as soon as she can so the vice captain doesn't freak out. She did send him a text message telling him she had to go to the bathroom for a while and will be back as soon as possible.

Sakuno glanced to her left and right, trying to remember everything that she did that night. She re-analyzed her movements, searching her brain for any suspicious activities. Anything. Anything out of the ordinary at all. She couldn't really recall anything suspicious, not unless…

The brunette's eyes widened for the umpteenth time that day as another sudden realization came to her.

Not unless…

She ran a couple of feet north of the temple, until she finally reached a humongous, ancient sakura tree. Yes, this was where she and Tomoka met Shiraishi, just a couple of minutes before the attack happened. Staring at the tree, she replayed the events of that night in her mind.

_Walking along this dark and shady pathway._

_Tomoka noticing the ancient tree and asking Sakuno to take pictures of her._

_Then her bumping into Shiraishi._

…

Wait a minute. It can't be.

Sakuno gasped as everything finally became clear to her. Backing away from the tree, she belatedly saw the shadow of a man being reflected by the sun right beside her. She slowly traced the shadow back to its source and was frozen in horror when she saw a masked man in a black coat watching her a few feet away. His face was half-covered by a mask and he was wearing a ridiculously huge hat to cover the rest of his profile.

The brunette's fears were soon confirmed when she heard the all-too-familiar robotic voice coming from him.

"So, you finally remembered."

Sakuno couldn't help but stare at him in fright. Her legs started to tremble.

"'Took you long enough."

* * *

Tokyo Hospital, 4:03 pm.

"Quit being such a baby. I'm just trying to learn how to bandage your ankle so we can do it at home," Nanjiroh told the boy with an irritated look on his face.

"It feels more like you're trying to learn how to separate my ankle from the rest of my body," was Ryoma's bratty reply as he hissed in pain again.

"'_Taku_. Kids nowadays," Nanjiroh mumbled as he loosened up Ryoma's bandage and rewrapped it around his ankle again. This time, looser than the first. In fact, far too loose.

The prince was about to complain when he heard his own phone ring. He took one look at the caller ID before he pushed the "answer" button.

His instincts automatically kicked in when he heard a lot of static mixed with background noise. It appeared as if the other person wasn't aware that he picked up the phone already.

"Ryuzaki?" he asked, slightly alarmed. "_Doushita_?"

He heard more static before the girl's voice finally came through.

"…yoma…kun…Ryo?..." Ryoma's cat-like eyes narrowed in alert and concern. "Where are you? What's going on?" the prince asked over the phone. He can barely hear Sakuno as there were far too much static and background noise. Nanjiroh stared at his son's troubled expression, now also concerned.

"…Ryoma-kun, I know what he wants from me!...he wants-"

Her words were suddenly cut off by four loud gunshots.

Then more static was heard.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Cliffie? xD I know it is a ridiculously long chapter and it was mostly bland but I still hope you enjoyed it. Creepy YukiSaku and awkward SanaSaku in this chapter, huh? Not to mention, platonic OishiSaku xD Lol. Ignore that last one.

But anyway, the next chapter will be ridiculously short (here I go again) and might be up soon.

Please review. I want to know your thoughts so far. Can anyone guess what Sakuno was about to say?

**Japanese Vocab:**

_Matte _– Wait

'_Taku_ – Short for 'Mattaku,' an expression of frustration

_Jou-chan_ - little missy


	31. Shattered Illusion

**XXXI. Shattered Illusion**

**Illusions** commend themselves to us because they save us **pain** and allow us to enjoy **pleasure** instead. We must therefore accept it without complaint when they sometimes collide with a bit of **reality** against which they are _**d a s h e d **_ to pieces.

- Sigmund Freud (1856-1939)

* * *

"So, you finally remembered."

Sakuno couldn't help but stare at him in fright. Cold fear swiftly crawled into her system as she watched him take small, agonizing steps to get closer and closer to her.

"'Took you long enough."

She backed away from him without watching her steps. As a result, she soon tripped over a stone on the path and fell to the ground. The masked man continued to approach her, unperturbed by her recent fall.

"Where is it?" he asked calmly. The brunette could only shake her head at him.

"I am extremely short on patience. Or maybe you'd rather I ask another close friend of yours and then send them to the hospital right after?" the guy taunted, an amused chuckle shortly following his words. Sakuno felt the blood drain from her face as she imagined what he could do to the people around her.

"Don't! I…" She clutched the dirt on the soil around her to contain her emotions. At times like this, she simply can't let her fragile emotions get the better of her. She must try to think straight. "I-I have it. And I'm the only one who knows where it is. S-so it's useless to waste time and effort just to hurt them," she told him in the steadiest voice she can muster.

"Hnn," the guy voiced out before he kept quiet and simply stared at her. He stopped approaching when he was about two feet away from her. It seemed as if he's considering his options.

Meanwhile, Sakuno kept clutching the soil around her in nervous anxiety. That was when she felt the hard and cold surface of something fairly solid. It took her a moment to realize that it was the stone she tripped over just a while ago.

That was when Ryoma's words suddenly came back to her.

"_A situation like that could happen and when it does, you can't just stand around stupidly, like you did, and wait to be killed_."

After remembering the prince's simple words, Sakuno somehow gained courage.

That's right. She can't just die.

Not after everyone worked so hard to protect and take care of her.

She must live. If not for herself, then at least for them. For her friends.

She swallowed hard and made up her mind.

The girl kept her gaze on the man as she sneakily clutched the medium-sized stone beside her. She tried to talk to him to divert his attention from her movements.

"And-and you can't kill me either. Because even if you do, that doesn't change the fact that I have evidence against you. S-somebody might discover it sooner or later."

The murderer continued to remain silent as he mulled over her words. It appeared as if he didn't notice that Sakuno had grabbed the stone near her. Hoping that her perception was right, Sakuno decided to commence her plan.

'Now's my chance!'

With the quickest speed she can muster, she hurled the medium-sized rock at the murderer. Indeed, the murderer was surprised by the sudden attack. He instinctively raised an arm to protect his face.

The brunette didn't waste another second to watch him after that. She hastily scrambled up from her position and quickly ran towards the forest surrounding the temple. She didn't look back. She was scared that she might see the man right behind her if she did. So instead, she just coursed through the multitude of trees in the forest for as fast as her legs can carry her, all the while hoping that the murderer fails to follow her tracks.

The brunette paid no heed to the stings caused by the many branches and pointy bushes that were slapping against her soft form as she ran in a panicked manner. She was doing well for a while, until she suddenly felt her vision start to blur and she started feeling dizzy. She soon tripped over an overhanging tree root and fell to the ground.

'W-what's happening?'

Now's definitely not the time for her body to stop functioning well. She needed to get away from a man who was trying to kill her for pete's sake!

As if her body was insensitive to her urgent need for survival, the splitting headache that she has repeatedly been feeling recently came back again. Incapacitated by these ailments, Sakuno had no choice but to temporarily stop on her tracks.

Instinctively, she lifted a hand to feel the temperature on her forehead. She instantly took it away when she felt burnt by her own hot skin.

A high fever.

Just what she needed.

'Why now of all times?' she asked herself in desperation.

With difficulty, the brunette tried to crawl behind one of the tall trees around her. For now, she can only pray that the murderer wouldn't find her in her current place.

But then, what if he does?

After all, he seemed to know this place pretty well.

The girl had to wince in pain when her splitting headache quickly turned to a full-on migraine. The pain barely allowed her to think. She cradled her head in her lap and curled into a fetal position. She earnestly hoped for someone to come and save her right now.

Ryoma-kun…

Akaya-kun…

Kunimitsu-_nii_…

Her _senpai_'s…

Anyone…

But then, no matter how hard she prayed, no one came to her rescue. It didn't take long before she heard the footsteps of someone approaching. It was coming from somewhere on her right, a few feet from her.

Her head instantly snapped back up in alert.

'What now?' she asked herself in panic.

At this rate, she'll…

It won't take long before the murderer finds her and then he'll kill her.

She'll die.

After all the things her friends did to protect her, she would just end up dying on them.

All of their sacrifices. Wasted.

What a useless little girl she was.

'_Gomen_, Ryoma-kun…' she suddenly found herself apologizing as she closed her eyes. But then, she realized something despite of her brain's current muddled state.

That's right.

Before she dies, she could at least tell them what the evidence was. She must at least try to save her friends.

Feeling around her current dress, she was so relieved when her hand felt a rectangle object in one of her pockets—her cellphone! It's a good thing she remembered to carry it with her when she sneaked away from Oishi.

With shaky fingers, she hurriedly pushed a few buttons. Thank goodness Ryoma was on her speed dial!

Unfortunately, her first call didn't go through. There was apparently no signal at where she was.

'No, no… please…' Sakuno silently pleaded as she pushed the same buttons to call the prince again. It took three tries before her call finally went through.

"Ryoma-kun? Ryoma-kun?" she uttered desperately on the phone. Sadly, all that came back to her from the earpiece was static.

'Please…'

"Ryoma-kun?" she called one last time before she finally heard his voice.

"…zaki? Dou-…ta?" His speech was distorted by the poor signal she's receiving. Though simply hearing his voice made her regain her courage already.

"I don't have much time. But Ryoma-kun, I know what he wants from me!" She clutched her phone tightly, trying to steady her nerves. She was so focused on the phone call that she didn't hear the faint footsteps of a person coming closer to her area.

"He wants-"

**Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang.**

Those were the only sounds she heard before she felt a burning sensation on her right arm. Sucking up air to keep herself from crying out loud in pain, she slowly glanced down to check on it. And what was the first thing she saw?

Blood.

Blood was oozing from a tear in the sleeves of her dress when she looked down to check on it. Glancing around her, she belatedly realized that the bullets came from the opposite side of the tree she was currently leaning against. If so, then maybe she still has time to get away…

Sakuno dived into the ground and desperately tried to crawl away, despite of her bleeding shoulder. She waited until she reached the cover of another huge tree before she forced her legs to stabilize, and started to run again.

She ignored the pain in her arm and tried to continue her conversation with Ryoma. She heard bits of pieces of his voice as she was running. He was apparently trying to talk to her. His voice alone gave her courage to continue running away, no matter how much she felt like fainting at the moment. She was starting to see white all over her vision.

"…Ryoma-kun…Tomo-chan…has my camera…" she said in between pants. "Tomo-chan…has my… camera…" she repeated once more, just to make sure that the signal doesn't interfere with her message.

"…please check-"

_**Bang. Bang. Bang.**_

She instinctively closed her eyes as she felt another burning sensation. This time, on her right leg. Sakuno fell to the ground again as this recent injury successfully disrupted her balance.

'This is it…' she thought with tears in her eyes.

She belatedly realized that she was still holding her cellphone. If the murderer found her in this position, he would know that she was able to make a call before she died. And if he checks her call log, he would find Ryoma's name and he would…

'No!'

With whatever strength that remained in her body, she dug up a small hole on the ground and buried her cellphone in there. She quickly covered it up with some fallen leaves and random broken branches to cover up the impression she made on the ground.

'There, that should do it.'

Not even a second after she was done covering up the hole, she heard footsteps approaching again. She was going to give up on the chase and started to ready herself to die when, for some reason, Ryoma's face flashed into her mind.

His angry face.

His worried face

And then, his agonized face.

After seeing those expressions, she knew she couldn't give up just yet. She doesn't want to hurt him anymore. She doesn't want to see pain in his eyes.

And so, she told every part of her body that was screaming in pain to keep quiet as she forced herself to get up from the ground. Though limping, she slowly dragged herself and continued making her way through the forest.

'…Ryoma-kun…'

She fell once. She got up.

'…Ryoma-kun…'

She fell again.

Got up.

Fell again.

And got up.

All that time, all she could think about was Ryoma and surviving.

Pretty soon, she reached a clearing in the woods. She walked further ahead to inspect what exactly was at that clearing. When she found out what, she seriously wanted to cry.

How unlucky.

Definitely unlucky.

Because right before her, is yet another deep cliff hole.

Yes, she was standing on top of another cliff. Only this time, there was no bridge that can help her to get to the other side of the land. Nope.

Nothing.

Just a hole.

And below that…

Way below the cliff…was a gushing river.

If for some lucky reason she survives the fall, which is already very unlikely, then that gushing river would surely finish her life.

Yes, that's the end of it.

'It couldn't get any worse…'

But of course, as with every time that that very simple phrase was thought of, the situation did indeed get worse.

When Sakuno finally turned around to try to go back to the forest, she found the masked man—the very same man who was trying to kill her—standing there, waiting for her.

* * *

Osakada Residence, 4:31 pm.

_Ding dong._

_Ding dong ding._

_Ding dong ding dong ding-_

"Didn't I tell you to wait? Just what- Ryoma-sama?" Tomoka was definitely beyond surprised when she saw the prince on her doorstep that afternoon. And it wasn't just his appearance that was shocking. It was his condition and his face expression too.

Ryoma was on two crutches and looking at her with a strained expression in his eyes, as if a ticking bomb was inside his body and ready to blow up any minute now. His feline-like eyes were narrowed in alert and there was controlled anger written all over his expression.

"Ryoma-sama, what's-" Before Tomoka could even complete a sentence, Ryoma immediately stated the reason for his visit.

"Osakada, I need Ryuzaki's camera."

When Tomoka still stood frozen at the door, just gaping at Ryoma like a fish with its mouth open, the prince had no choice but to raise his voice. "I need her camera now! This is not a joke!"

The poor girl literally shook before him, before she uttered a hesitant "_hai_" and ran into her house, heading back to her room.

Ryoma tried to take a deep breath to control his emotions while he waited. His dad was right, he must try to keep cool if he really wants to help Sakuno right now. A distracted mind won't be of any help during times like this.

After Sakuno's call ended, the prince had wanted to rush to wherever she was right away. He had learned from Oishi, who called a few minutes after Ryoma received Sakuno's call, that he had lost her at the train station. Back then, he had shouted at his dad to drive him to the station so he can help look for Sakuno.

Fortunately, his dad had the right mind to hit Ryoma's head in order to beat some sense into him. Nanjiroh patiently explained that Ryoma couldn't be of much help at his current condition, so he needs to stop thinking like a pregnant woman who was about to give birth at that moment, and start getting a hold of himself. After all, the other Seigaku regulars and some tennis players from other schools, were already called into action and were already looking for Sakuno.

Ryoma grudgingly admitted to himself that his father was right. He spent a few minutes trying to calm down. That's when he remembered her words. Yes, the only clear words he heard from her during her last call.

"…_I know what he wants from me_…_he wants my_-"

"…_Tomo-chan_…_camera_…_chan has my camera_…"

And so, he resolved to go to Tomoka's house right away so he can have a clue on what Sakuno was talking about. He had asked Nanjiroh to help him sneak out of the hospital and to drive him to the Osakada residence.

It didn't take long before the prince heard running footsteps from Osakada's house again. He glanced up and was glad to finally see Tomoka running towards him, with a small digital camera in hand. She quickly gave it to the prince.

"I forgot I had her camera. I borrowed it from her to get my pictures from_ Tanabata_. But then, because I really did forget that I had it, I forgot to upload those pictures. Heheh, how stupid of me," Tomoka muttered absent-mindedly. She was still somewhat weirded out by Ryoma's current behavior.

The prince, on the other hand, wasn't paying any attention to her at all. He was busy browsing through the pictures as if his own life depended on it.

"Just what exactly do you want, Ryoma-sama? Did an embarrassing picture of you get caught in that camera?" the girl wearing pigtails inquired persistently.

After about a minute of browsing, Ryoma finally spotted something odd in one of the pictures. He quickly went back to it and pressed zoom to see that one suspicious spot clearly.

'…'

Tomoka personally witnessed the change in Ryoma's expression as he continued to stare at the zoomed-in image in Sakuno's camera.

The prince's golden eyes, which were previously alert and vigilant, suddenly turned to pale yellow as if he just lost the will to continue living any longer.

"Ryoma-…sama?" Tomoka questioned uncertainly. She was suddenly scared of the prince.

Ryoma allowed his hand to limply drop back to his side after a few moments. He wanted to throw the darn camera away. But for some reason…for some reason, he can't. He just can't. He just held it tighter in his hand.

What he saw in that camera was such a shock to him that he didn't even know how he could deal with this reality.

The painful reality.

'It can't be.'

'It definitely can't be.' He gritted his teeth as he closed his eyes in agony.

That's right, because in one of the pictures in that camera…

* * *

"Didn't I tell you I am really short on patience?" the man said, now with a hint of anger in his robotic voice. "I have no time to play around."

To Sakuno's shock and amazement, he slowly started to take off the mask that was covering half of his face. She watched every tiny movement as if it was caught in a slow motion camera. The brunette's eyes gradually widened as more and more of his profile was revealed.

And when the man finally took off the hat to show off his entire face, Sakuno found herself unconsciously shaking her head in a gesture of denial.

Once.

Twice.

'No…' Tears quickly formed in her eyes and fell down her cheeks as her headshakes became more urgent and frantic.

'This is not real. This is just an illusion. Or a joke. It has to be…'

Sakuno wanted to close her eyes to banish the image in front of her. But for some reason, she simply can't. She also had the feeling that even if she closed her eyes, that image—which has already been burned in her mind—would replay itself again and again, just to torture her.

"Some of us…aren't who you think we are," the man uttered, now using his regular voice—a voice Sakuno recognized all too well. "Haven't I told you that before, Sakuno?"

"And you're wrong. I don't need you to tell me where the evidence is for I only need it to be hidden for a little longer anyway. In other words…" he said as he pointed a gun at her. "You're useless to me."

She watched in frozen horror as he aimed the gun right at her chest. With a last minute desperation, or denial, she doesn't know which one anymore, she tried to look into his eyes to decipher if there was any hint of emotion in there that can indicate that he was lying, that he was only joking, that he has a perfectly reasonable explanation for this…

However, she saw nothing but a silver flash, which effectively hid his eyes from her.

And, of course, the pain in her arm and her leg was also proof that this was reality...no matter how painful and nightmare-like it is.

"Sakuno…" he called again. Oh how she wished he wouldn't do that. It only reminded her of so many memories…so many memories with him…

"You shouldn't have let your guard down."

_**Bang.**_

* * *

…In one of the pictures in that camera was a captured image of a very respected person.

Half of his body was hidden behind one of the trees next to the huge sakura that Tomoka was standing in front of.

But the dagger he was carrying was visible.

His hair and face were clearly visible.

The brown side spikes.

And the silver flash that was reflected from his glasses.

It can only be...

* * *

It all went too fast for her.

She just felt pain.

Then a strong force that pushed her back towards the cliff.

Then a sense of falling down.

And down.

And down.

She closed her eyes in acceptance, tears still falling down her cheeks. Because as sad as it is, the only thought that was repeatedly running through her mind during that time was:

'_Doushite_, Kunimitsu-_nii_…?_'_

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

I think I'm gonna get tons of hate mails after this chapter, lol. But since I did make the effort to update this asap, can I atleast get some reviews? xD I would even accept flames…anything!

But thank you so much to those of you who kindly reviewed every chapter. Your words really give me inspiration to finish this story.

Thank you, thank you.

Until the next chapter!

**Japanese Vocab:**

_Doushite_ – why; for what reason; how; in what way; for what purpose; what for


	32. United, At Last

**XXXII. United, At Last**

She was drowning in an endless black pool, not being able to feel anything. She couldn't see. She couldn't breathe. Everything was just…pure black.

They say that right before people die, their life would flash quickly before their eyes. Some say that it's because the brain would try to relive the best experiences in a person's life before it shuts down and thus wouldn't be able to remember those precious moments anymore. If that's true, then this phenomenon served as a double-edged sword for her. Because though the memory that flashed before her eyes was indeed one of the most precious moments in her life, it was also something that deeply hurt her now.

_It was Christmas eve._

_Most of the families in Japan were busy spending the holiday at their own homes exchanging gifts and eating a hearty supper. _

_She would've been among the people celebrating if it wasn't for the fact that there was no one present at her home that night. Her grandmother was at the hospital. Again._

_Indeed, she had gradually gotten used to it. Slowly, she had learned to accept that her grandmother was getting older. Weaker. It's natural. Death is a part of life. But no matter how many times she told herself that it would be okay, no matter how many times she prepared herself for the inevitable, it didn't make her entirely forget the fear of being left alone. Her grandmother was all that she has left in this world—the only family member she has who actually cared about her well-being. And if she's gone…_

"_Gomen, Ryuzaki-san. But we have to inform you that your grandmother's system is slowing down. If another heart attack occurs while her body is at a vulnerable state like it is right now, it might end up costing her life."_

_That was what the doctor told her a few hours ago. Until that time…until she heard those words, she had remained strong. She had managed to keep her uneasiness, her fears, and her anxieties hidden from her friends. She had smiled like she always did. _

_But, of course, she's only human too. There are times when she's weak—when she needs to let it all out. Otherwise she would have a complete breakdown in front of all of them. And she didn't want that. She wanted to put up a strong front so they wouldn't have to worry about her—so they wouldn't pity her._

_That is why whenever she felt weak, she comes here— at the cemetery where her parents were buried. She usually sits by their tombs, cradling herself until the pain goes away—until she can regain enough strength to smile for the others again. At this place, she can cry all she wants without anyone seeing her. _

_It had been her secret for many years. That was until…_

"_Christmas eve was never meant to be spent alone."_

_Head snapping back up, her eyes widened in fear when she recognized the serious face that was staring down at her._

"_Buchou? Why are you here? I was just-" The girl hastily stood up and wiped her tears away, trying to hide it from the captain. "I'm sorry, I was just-" She tried to let out a laugh. "I just thought I would visit them before I see obaa-chan again. It's been a while and ah, I think I got some dust in my eyes, I can't get it out and now I'm-"_

_Her words were interrupted by the appearance of a white handkerchief, which was silently offered to her. The design on the soft cloth was simple, yet elegant. And for some reason, it had a red ribbon neatly wrapped over it. Sakuno stared at the object, not knowing what to do._

"_Merry Christmas," he had said in his deep voice. _

_She knew he had always been a man of few words. Most people had called him stoic—proud and insensitive to other people. Despite that, she had always believed that there was something more to him than that cold, apathetic front. There was a reason why Ryoma, Atobe, Sanada, and so many other people respect this man. She was only beginning to understand it back then._

"_I-" Tear-filled brown eyes stared at him, still confused._

"_Ryuzaki-sensei is waiting for you at the hospital. So are the regulars. You shouldn't keep them waiting."_

_Drip. _

_Drop._

_The girl quickly tried to wipe her tears again. _

_Drip. Drop._

_But to no avail. No matter how many times she wiped them, they still continued to fall. _

"_G-gomen," she helplessly uttered, now hiding her eyes from him with her sleeves. "G-gomen, buchou…" She wasn't crying because of pain. No. The buchou's presence alone somehow made the pain go away—even if it was only temporarily._

_The girl was crying because she was embarrassed for displaying weakness. She was silently berating herself for being so emotional when, indeed, Tezuka was right. She had forgotten that she had friends who she can fall upon when times get tough. She had been too busy wallowing in senseless sorrow that she neglected to look at the positive things in her life._

_Tezuka didn't say anything in reply. When the girl still refused to accept his simple present, he undid the ribbon himself and offered it again to the girl. This time, she accepted it._

_They didn't know how long they stayed like that—with her crying and him just standing there, offering his silent company. Pretty soon, her tears had stopped and she was able to calm down. _

"_It's okay…" Tezuka started to say. "…to let your guard down from time to time." _

_She remembered listening to his words like a little child listening to an older sibling. He wasn't directly looking at her, but staring at a nearby oak tree instead. Nevertheless, she knew that his full attention was on her. "However, it is a mistake to let yourself think that you're alone in this world. I personally would make sure that it will never happen."_

_Well, darn it._

_He made her cry again._

For a long time, it had been their secret.

It had been an old promise that she greatly treasured—a promise that was now, unfortunately, broken.

Even so, she secretly held onto those words, refusing to let go. Because even if they are nothing but lies now, she still wanted to believe, that there was once a time in his life when he had truly meant those words.

"_Nii-san_…" Sakuno unconsciously whispered in a heart-breaking voice as she buried her face in the chest of the person who was currently carrying her.

The guy, who had clearly heard her words, softened his eyes as he took a moment to stare at the injured girl in his arms.

* * *

"Somebody tell me it's not hers," Bunta said out loud, staring at the trail of blood that ended on top of the cliff. His current companions weren't able to say anything that can grant the red head's plea. They also just stared at the trail of blood, feeling a sick sensation in their stomachs.

It was too convenient to be considered a coincidence. No matter how hard they wished it wasn't Sakuno's, both their logical minds and their gut instincts were telling them that it was hers.

Oishi had called upon all the tennis regulars who were available in the area to help look for Sakuno. The big group had split up to search for the girl about an hour ago. It was the group which consisted of Yukimura, Bunta, Nioh, Oishi, and Oshitari who searched the forest surrounding the temple and were able to find drops of blood that eventually lead them to the cliff. Since the trail ended there and no traces of the girl can be seen anywhere else, they can only deduce that she had fallen down to the gushing river.

Oishi bowed his head, already berating himself harshly. "This is my entire fault. If only I watched her more closely, then-"

"_Arara_, you can't blame yourself, Oishi. Something tells me that this _ojou-sama_ of yours is a really spirited young woman. She would've been able to sneak away even if a different person was watching her," the blue-haired Hyoutei regular tried to console the vice captain.

"But still-" Oishi was about to rebut Oshitari's excuse when a new, yet somewhat familiar voice butted into their conversation.

"That girl is better off dead for now."

The five tennis players turned their heads to look at the newcomer. His words didn't come out as good as he intended them to be and he immediately regretted it for he felt hair-raising hostility coming from the group, except Yukimura.

He flashed a friendly smile to help appease them before he talked again. "Before you get the chance to plan my slow and torturous death, let me explain what I actually meant first."

Yukimura, who maintained a neutral aura the entire time, smiled in return. "Then please do, Chitose."

* * *

A sliding door was slammed open as soon as approaching footsteps were heard near an old dojo located close to the _Tanabata _temple. The red-haired Shitenhouji freshman busted out of the door and ran towards the approaching guy within a matter of seconds.

"Shiraishi! Chitose called and told us you found Sakuno-chan, how-? What-what happened?" The first year's innocent eyes dramatically widened in shock as he saw his _buchou _holding a limp Sakuno in his arms.

Shiraishi was carrying the brunette bridal style. Both were soaking wet from head to toe and Kintarou can see red spots, which he correctly guessed as blood, decorating both the girl and the captain.

"Is Sakuno-chan alright? Who did this to her?" Kintarou continued to interrogate the captain, a hint of anger was evident in his tone when he asked the latter question.

"Kintarou, now's not the time. Tell the others to prepare a room and also to grab medical supplies right away. She needs our help now," Shiraishi ordered in a serious tone.

The poor freshman prodigy continued to stare at the brunette with a worried expression on his face though managed to give Shiraishi an absent-minded nod. Despite of his childishness, he can always tell when a situation demanded maturity—especially right now when the life of a person he cares about was on the line. Within the next second, he disappeared into the house and, for once, did as Shiraishi told him to do without complaining.

* * *

"_Naru hodo_," Yukimura said, after hearing Chitose's explanation. Bunta let out a disapproving 'tsk' and sent the Shitenhouji player a semi-glare.

"Can we even trust this guy? How do we know he's not the one hiding Sakuno-chan from us?" the red head contested. With everything that's been going on recently, his patience was already at its limits as well.

"We have no choice but to trust him for now," Yukimura dismissed his teammate's worries. "This has gone on for too long and so many mistakes have already been made." The blue-haired captain closed his eyes for a second before he opened them again.

"It's time for us to gather everyone and discuss this problem _together_."

* * *

"I need a _futon_."

Kenya and Zaizen hurriedly unfolded a Japanese cushion in response to their captain's orders. Once the futon was set, Shiraishi gently laid the girl's fragile body on it. When he saw that some of the girl's unbound, wet hair was obstructing her face, he softly brushed them away.

Sakuno was still unconscious. On top of that, she appeared to be suffering from a very high fever as her breathing was labored and her whole face was flushed.

"How is she, Shiraishi?" Tooyama Kintarou asked with trepidation in his eyes as he nervously watched the captain tend to the girl. The other Shitenhouji regulars—Zaizen, Kenya, and Koharu—were also watching from a few feet away. They wanted to give Sakuno as much space as they can, so enough oxygen can get into her system.

"As far as I can tell, she's been shot three times," Shiraishi replied calmly—too calmly for Kintarou's liking.

"What? Then we need to rush her to the hospital! Sakuno-chan needs a doctor- and- and,"

_Bonk_.

The freshman prodigy got lightly hit by Kenya on the forehead. "Think before you speak, Kin-chan," the third year condescendingly lectured. "Somebody's obviously trying to kill her. If that person finds out that he didn't get his job done, he most likely won't rest until he finishes the job."

Kintarou's eyes dulled as he realized the logic behind Kenya's reasoning. However, he still refused to give up the fight. "But if Sakuno-chan doesn't get checked by a doctor, then she might-"

"Relax, Kin-chan. I already asked Chitose to send a doctor to this location before I carried her here. Besides, the two shots that hit her right arm and right leg only scraped her skin. What I'm most concerned about is the shot that hit her left shoulder. I can't tell if the bullet is still there or not because it seemed too deep to probe into without proper medical tools," Shiraishi explained as he took off his drenched jersey jacket. He had already bandaged Sakuno's injuries to stop the bleedings temporarily.

"What we can do for now is to try to get her out of her wet clothes as soon as possible. Her fever might get worse if she stayed drenched like that," the _buchou_ added. He was about to grab Sakuno's clothes when a hand reached out and slapped his hand away from the girl.

"Stop, stop, stop!"

It was Koharu who had spoken.

"Kurarin, you perverted, perverted, perverted old man!" the genius player shouted dramatically as he repeatedly hit Shiraishi with a rolled-up newspaper. The _buchou _could only wince and mutter a weak "_itai_" as he continuously got hit by the newspaper.

"You can't just undress a lady in front of these hormone-filled teenage boys, you know!" Koharu wailed, motioning to the other boys in the room with his right arm.

Kenya and Zaizen, who didn't know what Koharu was talking about just a while ago, now had faint blushes on their faces as they realized what Shiraishi was just about to do. Kin-chan just blinked innocently.

"See how dirty-minded they are?" Koharu asked again, proving his point.

"_Nan ya_? We didn't even think about it until you mentioned-" Kenya tried to defend their dignities but he also just got hit by the rolled-up newspaper.

"Don't even try to make excuses! Even at situations like this, I still feel compelled to protect this poor girl's innocence," Koharu continued to declaim, now trying to push Shiraishi away from Sakuno.

"But we need to-" the _buchou_ protested, trying to drill some sense into his teammate.

"Then I shall take care of it. Out of everyone in this room, I'm the one who has the most feminine heart. I might as well be a girl in a man's body. Oh, how true that is! Anyway, what I'm trying to say is, I'll change her clothes while you guys wait outside. So shoo, shoo," Koharu uttered as he pushed the other players out of the room. Once they were all out, he slid the sliding door shut before their eyes in order to make sure that not a single one of them dares to peek into the room.

The men who were forced to go outside can only blink in ignorance as they slowly tried to take in the fact that they had just been literally kicked out.

Kenya huffed in indignation. "Really, he can be such a pain sometimes. We were only trying to help." Zaizen, for once, agreed with his _senpai_.

Shiraishi simply shrugged as he displayed a tolerant smile on his face. "_Seya na._ I guess it can't be helped. He did have a point."

Meanwhile, Kin-chan had a lost look in his eyes. He was staring at the ground, frowning the entire time. "_Ne_, what did Koharu mean by protecting Sakuno-chan's innocence?"

Kenya had to blush madly again as he gave Kintarou an incredulous "are-you-for-real" look. But he should've known better, the freshman was as innocent as a lamb. And without literal words, he wasn't able to catch the meaning behind Koharu's metaphor.

"He was trying to keep _buchou_ from molesting that girl's body," was Zaizen's deadpan answer.

…

Silence.

It seemed as if tumbleweeds managed to roll through the hallway and pass the boys before the entire dojo heard the deafening scream.

"SHIRAISHIIIII, YOU _AHOOOOOOO_! How dare you do that to Sakuno-chan?" Kin-chan shouted in an enraged voice, shooting Shiraishi murderous glares. He was about to jump the "perfect" captain but Kenya managed to restrain him.

The "speed star of Naniwa" sweatdropped as he let out a frustrated sigh. "Did you really have to say it like that?" was his desperate question to Zaizen, who simply shrugged in reply.

"_Nan ya_? I don't see what the big deal is," Shiraishi uttered in an amused tone. "After all, I was already able to steal a kiss from her anyway. It had been…how should I put this?" A playful grin graced his handsome face as he directed his gaze at the now white-faced Kin-chan. "Ahh~…_ecstasy_."

Yap.

That did it.

All hell broke loose.

Right after Shiraishi said his catchphrase, he wasn't able to do anything else but choke and cough as a mad freshman was able to escape from Kenya's grasp and jump on his back, desperately trying to strangle him.

Of course, Shiraishi had only been half-joking. The kiss he was referring to was the CPR he performed right after he had rescued Sakuno from drowning at the river. But then again, Shiraishi's sadistic brain thought that Kin-chan didn't have to know that.

Inside the room where Koharu and Sakuno were at, the genius Shitenhouji player just ignored the chaos occurring outside. After all, that's pretty much normal for them.

He was still in the process of getting Sakuno out of her drenched dress and into the white baggy shirt that one of them had brought along as spare clothing. By the time he heard "_Iya ya_! I don't want the poisoned arm!" accompanied by a couple of bangs and other noises, Koharu had already finished changing Sakuno and was tucking her under a warm blanket.

Sighing wistfully, he looked at the now-peacefully sleeping girl in front of him. "I sure hope you don't end up with one of them, dear. Trust me, those hunky-licious faces are not worth one bit of putting up with that crap for the rest of your life."

* * *

Nanjiroh's Car, 6:22 pm.

"You're kidding, Inui-_senpai_."

Ryoma seethed as he heard the news from the data man over the phone. Inui had called to inform him that Yukimura was inviting everyone to attend a meeting. But since the prince immediately asked what the others planned to do about the ongoing search for Sakuno, Inui had no choice but to admit to the tennis prodigy that they had called off the search for the brunette for now.

"There is no need to worry. She's in safe hands," the data man tried to placate Ryoma.

"Whose?" the prince asked, refusing to let the matter go.

"Echizen, trust me when I say that it's better to keep her hidden for the time being."

"Easy for you to say. You don't care what happens to her as long as you solve your mystery."

Ouch.

So perhaps Ryoma went a little too far when he said those words. He is usually pretty calm about things. But whenever Sakuno was involved, he still doesn't know why, but everything just crumbles for him. Most of the times, he can't think straight and there are also times when he would just start sputtering things he usually doesn't mean.

He was especially in a bad mood today, considering what he just found out at Tomoka's house a few minutes ago.

Inui didn't reply to Ryoma's unwarranted cruel accusation, and pretty soon, Ryoma was able to realize his mistake.

"_Sumimasen_, _senpai,_" the tennis prodigy whispered guiltily.

It's a good thing Inui is not one to hold a grudge against people. Besides, he understood what Ryoma was going through at the moment.

"If you come to the meeting that is scheduled in a few minutes, I promise that I would personally take you to her once the meeting ends," Inui kindly offered.

There was a minute pause, during which Ryoma seemed to be considering the data man's proposal.

"_Ii'su_," was his quiet reply when he finally decided to give in to the other player's demand.

Inui let out a sigh of relief when he heard it. "Good." He knew it'll be hard to convince the first year to attend the meeting, especially right now, when Sakuno's condition was a little sketchy even to them. But he knew that Ryoma is a sensible person. The boy should understand the concept of prioritizing.

"Inui-_senpai_," Ryoma called out before Inui could hang up on him.

"What is it, Echizen?"

The prince hesitated before he spoke again. "I found the thing you've been searching for."

* * *

The large meeting room at Hyoutei Academy was slowly filled with regulars as the time for the meeting came. All of the Seigaku, Rikkai, and Hyoutei regulars were present in the room. In addition, Chitose was also there to represent Shitenhouji, Sengoku for Yamabuki, and Tachibana Kippei for Fudomine. Basically everyone involved in the serial murderer mystery was called.

"Is everyone here?" Yukimura asked Yanagi, who had been keeping track of attendance.

"Everyone we invited is present aside from Fuji Syuusuke, Atobe Keigo, and Kabaji Munehiro. I wasn't able to get replies from any of them," the data man of Rikkai stated.

"I was able to contact Atobe," Sanada added from Yukimura's back. "He would arrive a bit later so he said we can start without him."

The Rikkai _buchou_ nodded. "That's good enough." Yukimura then sent Sanada a meaningful glance. "Since we have reason to suspect that you have more involvement in these events than the rest of us, may I request that you start the discussion, Sanada?"

The room, which had previously been filled with idle chatters from the tennis players, suddenly became dead silent. They all stood still and waited for Sanada's reply.

As usual, the _fukubuchou_ had no choice but to grant the captain's wish. He was never able to say "no" to Yukimura anyway.

Sanada nodded before he turned to face everyone in the room. He spoke in a loud and clear voice so everyone can hear every word he's going to say.

"It all started when I received a threat letter the day before the _Tanabata_ festival…"

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

So Shitenhouji players, huh? I don't know why but I simply cannot think of them without thinking about crack. It's Konomi-_sensei_'s fault. Anyway, it's super rare to find ShitenhoujixSakuno stories that involve more than just KinxSaku. If you guys find one that's good, please recommend it to me. Lol.

Some of you might be wondering what they are doing in a dojo near the _Tanabata _temple, and with Shiraishi, for pete's sake. Well, everything is going to be explained in the next chapter. Most of the unexplained mysteries, so far, will also be explained.

As for the motive behind all the killing, that one will take a while. I promise it won't take another thirty chapters before I reveal it. After all, the finale's coming up pretty soon. I'm approximating that the story will end in about 10 chapters or so. So please look forward to it.

Please hit the review button before you go ^o^

**Japanese Vocab:**

_Nii-san_ – older brother

_Arara_ – just an expression

_Ojou-sama** - **_missy

_Naru hodo _– I see; Indeed

_Kurarin_ – (Technically not a word, it's Koharu's cute nickname for Shiraishi though Shiraishi doesn't like it much. It came from Shiraishi's first name which is Kuranosuke. Kuranosuke - Kurarin. They used it a lot in the Prince of Tennis games but I can't remember if they mentioned it in the manga or in the anime.)

_Aho_ – idiot (Osakan dialect)

_Seya_ – That's how it is (Osakan dialect)

_Nan ya_ –What? (Osakan dialect)

_Iya ya _– I don't want to! ("ya" part indicates Osakan speech)

_Sumimasen_ – sorry; excuse me

_Ii'su_ - okay (in bratty language)


	33. The New Challenge

**XXXIII. The New Challenge**

"So let me get this straight," Gakuto exclaimed. "You went to the _Tanabata _festival in Tokyo because the threat letter stated that 'a tennis player will die for your sin' on that night? Did Atobe receive that letter too?"

By now, the tennis players in the room were huddled in a semi-circle. Each of them was facing Sanada, who was standing in the middle with Yukimura and Yanagi.

"That's right. I didn't find out until a little later, but Atobe received the exact same letter as well," the Rikkai _fukubuchou_ confirmed. He turned his head to Chitose and commented, "I assume it's the same for Shiraishi."

When Chitose nodded, Inui decided to interject. "We suspected that much. The four of you were acting suspiciously in a very similar manner. Our hunch was that you guys were either working on something together or working independently to reach the same goal."

Momo crossed his arms and frowned. "So can we say that Tezuka-_buchou_ received the same letter too?"

The atmosphere in the room suddenly dropped a couple of degrees lower when the spiky-haired Seigaku regular asked the question. Until then, people had avoided mentioning Tezuka's name.

Sanada chose to indirectly answer the second year's question, "We did notice that the others were acting suspiciously like us. But since we sometimes saw each other in the places where the perpetrator specifically told us to go, the possibility that one of us might be the real perpetrator didn't escape our minds. And so, we chose not to confide in each other until we've cleared each other's names."

Yanagi caught something important in Sanada's statement and decided to bring it up. "Genichirou, you said 'you saw each other in the places where the perpetrator told you to go.' Does this imply that you received more than one threat letter?"

"That's exactly right," was the _fukubuchou_'s answer. He had a faraway look in his eyes, as if he was trying to recall minor details about the case. "Assuming it's the same again for Shiraishi, Atobe and I did receive another letter after the first one. It stated something about 'finishing what he started on the night of the _Tanabata _festival.'"

"_Naru hodo_," Yanagi said with a hint of a satisfied smirk showing on his face. "So that's why the four of you were lurking around Akutsu Jin's hospital room back then. You thought that the unfinished business the murderer was talking about referred to completely killing Akutsu Jin since he did survive the attack."

Sanada nodded at him, now grim-faced. "That was our first mistake. Of course, we found out a week later that his unfinished business actually meant he intended to attack more tennis players."

A brief silence followed the _fukubuchou_'s statement. It seemed as if the regulars were trying to absorb the information they just heard from Sanada.

"And so?" Oshitari asked when he thought that the pause lasted long enough. "When did you decide to confide in Atobe? Based on your words, it sounded as if you knew his movements and motives as well."

The regulars saw Sanada close his eyes briefly. "It was when I got my first lead in the case. The words on the threat letters were computerized but I noticed that the papers they were printed on were very unusual. It seemed as if they were custom-made. I decided to trace them back to the shop where they were bought from. The owner absolutely refused to give out the names of his customers so I was forced to take drastic measures. I planned to break into the shop at night to see if I can steal the store's customer log.

"Atobe apparently arrived at the same conclusion that I did as he also planned to stake out the area. However, the perpetrator had been one step ahead of us. The owner had probably informed him that we were trying to uncover his name so the murderer decided to blow up the store the very same night I decided to break in. I was lucky to escape the explosion with only minor bruises on my face and my body. Luckily, Atobe had managed to ask his agents to install a surveillance camera around the store before it exploded. An image of me, sneaking around the building, was caught in that camera. That and my bruised face were what eventually convinced him that I was innocent and that we were basically in the same situation. Because if I was really the murderer, I wouldn't be stupid enough to blow up the building while I'm still around the place.

"A day later," Sanada continued, "I found out that some of my teammates had a personal encounter with the perpetrator himself. Bunta got shot as a result of it."

Bunta let out an understanding "ah" and smiled. "So that's why you had that bruise that morning. We almost suspected that you were really the murderer since Niou had managed to hit the sucker's jaw the night before."

"Nah, I knew he wasn't the murderer at that time," Niou admitted with an apologetic grin to Bunta. "Although people usually use their dominant hand when punching someone, I had to use my right hand back then since my left was occupied. If you remember, Sanada had the bruise on his right jaw. He couldn't have been the guy I punched since my right hand should've hit the guy's left jaw. But since Sanada's behavior was still suspicious at that time, I suspected that he knew more than he was letting on. So I wasn't able to clear him out just yet."

"_Shikashi_, you could've told us the problem back then, Sanada-kun. It would've saved us a lot of trouble," Yagyuu added.

Bunta nodded at the gentleman player's comment. "That's right. Actually, you should've told us the problem right after you received the first letter. We could've helped you out in this mess."

"He didn't want to involve you, as much as possible," Chitose defended Sanada. "After all, the first threat letter did indicate that tennis players are dying for 'his sin.' They thought that it was more of a personal grudge so they didn't want to involve us in their mess. At least, that was what Shiraishi told me when I asked him why he didn't confide in us, his own teammates."

The Rikkai _fukubuchou_ surprisingly bowed his head to his teammates after that. "That had been my mistake. I apologize."

"And I wasn't able to hear anything about this until Akaya got kidnapped," Yukimura uttered in his usual soft and calm voice, though everyone had goose bumps when they sensed the subtle anger underneath his tone.

Sanada bowed even deeper to Yukimura. "_Moushi wake arimasen_."

"Speaking of Akaya's kidnapping," Yanagi suddenly said, shifting the focus of their discussion. "You knew something else about it that we didn't, am I correct? You had regret written all over your face. That's one of the reasons why I trusted you back then. I can tell that you personally didn't wish for the event to happen."

The Rikkai _fukubuchou_ straightened up before he answered Yanagi's claim. "The night before you found out Akaya was missing, I had overheard you discussing at the meeting room. You were talking about the lead Niou had learned from the maker of the perpetrator's gun. After you left the room, I snuck in to check Yanagi's data notebook for the address. I had wanted to check the place before you guys do. Of course, I knew it was another risky investigation and I also considered the possibility that I won't get lucky this time around. So, I informed Atobe of what I was planning to do and opted to leave the notebook out on the table as a clue for you guys to follow, just in case I don't make it back. I was planning to put the data notebook back in Yanagi's locker in the morning, if I managed to survive the night."

Sanada let out a deep, self-loathing sigh before he continued:

"Unfortunately, Akaya prematurely discovered the notebook. He followed the address like I did and he saw me at the abandoned shack holding evidence that the murderer had used—a pink hat and some other pink garments. He got the wrong idea. We got into a fight. And before I knew it, the light from the candle in the shack was blown out, which basically left us out open in the dark. I saw a quick silver flash before I heard gun shots and felt some hard things hitting my body. I thought they were real bullets, but I discovered later on that they had just been blanks. Before I can adjust my eyes to the darkness, I felt my body suddenly weakening—I had been hit with a stun gun and soon passed out.

"When I recovered, I was already in an unfamiliar forest near Kanagawa. Beside me was another one of that murderer's threat letters. It had said that he was holding Akaya captive and that he would release him safely as soon as he obtains what he wanted from one of Akaya's close friends. The note also warned me to keep my mouth shut about what happened or else Akaya would be dead in a second."

Sanada hardened his eyes and a brief expression of pain flashed quickly before his eyes. "I didn't want to take any chances so I followed his demands. Back then, all I wanted was to obtain information on where Akaya was being held so I can rescue him. But as Bunta and Niou had found out—the shack was already burnt down. There was no other lead. That's why I just settled on telling all of Akaya's close friends to inform me right away once they hear anything from him."

"So that's why you had acted that way towards Sakuno-chan that day," Jackal supplemented, now understanding what the vice captain was going through at that time.

"Yes. And it turned out that she was the one he had wanted after all. I heard news that he had been stalking her, but for what reason, I still wasn't able to figure out back then. " The _fukubuchou_ closed his eyes again. "I owe that girl more than just an apology."

"Let's not reflect too much on the past now," Yukimura interrupted. "Ryuzaki Sakuno definitely had a lot of involvement in this case. Most of us already know that she apparently holds incriminating evidence against the murderer. That's why he had been pursuing her relentlessly."

"Then I believe Shiraishi was able to realize the importance of her connection to the case a bit sooner than Sanada and Atobe did." It was Chitose who took the spotlight this time. "Most of you guys were probably unaware of the fact that he bumped into the girl and her friend on the night of the festival about 25 minutes before the attack against Akutsu Jin happened. Shiraishi didn't realize it right away, but after he heard the news that the murderer was stalking Ryuzaki-san, he made the connection. He looked for her address and cellphone number, and then tried to contact her through a text message. Unfortunately, on the day that he was supposed to meet with her to ask some questions, the street incident happened. And before he can clear up anything with her," the Shitenhouji player paused. "He met Tezuka."

Almost all of the players in the room widened their eyes in shock when Chitose mentioned the last part of his statement—the Seigaku regulars more so than the others.

"Then? Then? Did Shiraishi find out that Tezuka was also innocent? Like, like Atobe and Sanada, right?" Eiji asked, a hint of worry in his tone. The sad thing was that he already knew the answer somehow. He was just holding on to a tiny ray of hope that his suspicions were wrong.

The Seigaku regulars, aside from Ryoma and Inui who hid their eyes from the others, held their breaths as they waited for the answer.

"No." Chitose had to bow down his head. He wasn't able to say his next words while looking at Eiji's desperate pleading eyes.

"Tezuka…attacked Shiraishi."

Needless to say, the others were further startled by Chitose's last statement.

"_O-oi_," Momo uttered, a mix of anger and disbelief showing through his eyes. He grabbed the front of Chitose's shirt and started to shake him. "Don't joke like that! Tezuka-_buchou_ would never-"

"Let him finish first, Momoshirou. We can judge the veracity of these statements later," Inui calmly persuaded the enraged second year. Though reluctant, Momo eventually let the Shitenhouji player go.

It took a minute before Chitose continued his tale. "Shiraishi had put up a pretty good fight, but like Sanada, he soon suffered the hit of a stun gun. Before he passed out, however, he had managed to send Ryuzaki Sakuno a text message that he hoped would help her realize what the perpetrator had been wanting from her."

"Shiraishi already knew what the murderer wanted from Ryuzaki-san at that time?" Yanagi asked, a little surprised that the Shitenhouji _buchou_ managed to figure it out before he and Inui can.

"He had a good idea of what it might be but he wasn't completely sure_. _ Back on the night of the _Tanabata _festival, Shiraishi remembered the girls mentioning that they had taken pictures near the scene of the attack. He put two and two together and developed the hunch that Ryuzaki Sakuno might've captured an incriminating image of the murderer in her camera.

"Unfortunately, he wasn't able to verify that since Te-" Chitose stopped himself short of mentioning the name this time, lest it provokes yet another outburst from the Seigaku regulars. "…Shiraishi was held captive in a locked room in an abandoned building somewhere. Two days passed before he was able to escape from that place. He didn't want to alert the perpetrator that he had escaped from his prison because the murderer might freak out, and thus might be forced into taking desperate measures. So instead, Shiraishi settled to hide in an old, abandoned dojo that he had found near the temple where the _Tanabata _festival was held. That's when he decided to call us and finally ask for our help. We joined him at the _dojo _yesterday and he told us everything I've told you so far. Today, we were in the middle of discussing our next move when we heard gunshots in the area and-"

"They were able to rescue Ryuzaki-san from the clutch of the murderer," Inui decided to summarize, not wanting Ryoma to hear the grueling details of the attempt on Sakuno's life just yet. Because if the prince hears that Sakuno has been shot three times, the boy would most likely demand to see Sakuno right away and Inui couldn't let Ryoma go just yet. Not when there were still important things that needed to be discussed with the others.

"_Soya_. That's basically our side of the story," Chitose finished.

No one in the room wanted to talk after him. They were all having a hard time taking in that Tezuka had attacked Shiraishi. Now, there is hardly any doubt that Tezuka is the murderer who they've all been searching for.

Yukimura recovered from the shock first. "Then we must obtain the camera from Ryuzaki Sakuno right away so we can confirm who we're really up against," the Rikkai _buchou_ uttered in a business-like manner. He has always been good at not letting his personal feelings get in the way of getting things done.

The Rikkai captain was about to ask Inui and Chitose to contact Sakuno so they can get the camera from her when Inui decided to finally reveal what he and Ryoma chose to hide from the others up until now.

"Actually, we have the camera in our hands at this very moment. Ryuzaki-san had told Echizen where the camera was and he was able to get it for the rest of us," the data man of Seigaku said as he grabbed a projector from the corner of the meeting room and hooked it up with a digital camera he had pulled out from his tennis bag. He then projected a zoomed-in image on the huge white board in the Hyoutei meeting room.

As the tennis players looked at what was projected on the board…

_The world slowly crumbled for those people whose lives he had touched_.

* * *

Shiraishi slowly slid the sliding door open, making sure not to disturb the girl resting inside. When he saw tired brown eyes peeking at him from the corner of the room, he instantly whispered an apology.

"Did I disturb you? _Gomen_, I just wanted to see how you're doing," the captain smiled before he entered the room and closed the sliding door behind him. He started to approach the brunette.

When the doctor arrived an hour ago, the Shitenhouji players immediately surrendered Sakuno to his care. They were all relieved when he came out of her room and told them that the girl was going to be fine—the bullet in her left shoulder was successfully removed and all that she needed to do, aside from letting her injuries heal, was to get over that high fever.

The doctor advised them to keep a close watch of her, however, since the pain medication he had given her will wear off from time to time. She needed a fresh dose every 6 hours or so. The doctor also instructed them to closely monitor her fever. Hence, the Shitenhouji regulars (aside from Kin-chan, who had to be literally knocked out because he wouldn't let anyone else near Sakuno after Shiraishi's "teasing") had alternated checking on her to make sure she's doing okay.

It was Shiraishi's turn to check on her this time.

Kneeling on his knee before her bed, the _buchou_ removed the wet towel on her forehead and felt her temperature.

"It's going down. That's good," Shiraishi whispered with an expression of relief on his face. He then dumped the towel into a basin full of cold water near her bed.

Sakuno simply watched him with lifeless eyes.

"_A-arigatou_…for saving me."

Shiraishi paused from wringing the towel and looked at the brunette who had spoken in such a weak and dispirited voice. The girl before him now was so different from the lively girl he met back at the _Tanabata _festival. Shiraishi couldn't help but feel guilt creep into his system. It was their fault that she's in this condition at the moment.

"I owed you that much, at least," the _buchou_ said as he replaced the towel on her forehead before taking a seat next to her futon.

"I put you in danger. Not once, but twice. _Akan wa. _There is no excuse for it." He let out a pathetic chuckle, as if mocking himself. Some kind of "perfect" captain he was. He had obviously miscalculated.

Sakuno closed her eyes and shook her head softly. "Shiraishi-san was only doing all he could to help. There is nothing wrong with that."

The captain glanced back at her upon hearing her soft words. Despite of the girl's current state, she's still making the effort to relieve someone else's pain. The girl always puts other people before herself.

_How selfless._

And to top it all, she doesn't blame him for anything—even though he just admitted that he willingly risked her life for the sake of solving the big mystery.

_No wonder Kin-chan likes her so much._

The captain hid a smirk and uttered, "You give me way too much credit when I clearly don't deserve it. _Arigatou na_."

A comfortable silence filled the room after his words.

"Was he the one who shot you? Tezuka, I mean," Shiraishi braved to ask after a while. He already had a feeling that it was indeed the Seigaku captain who was responsible for her injuries. But he still wanted to confirm it with her anyway.

The Shitenhouji players had only heard the gunshots from the dojo earlier that day. Alarmed by the sound, they had immediately separated to investigate the area. Chitose and Shiraishi were the ones who heard the huge splash caused by the fall of the brunette to the gushing river and were thus the ones who managed to save her from drowning.

There was a rustle in the room. Sakuno pulled at the ends of the blanket to cover herself more. Shiraishi caught the pain reflected in her eyes before she hid them from him. The _buchou_ quickly regretted his question.

"Ah, _gomen_. Perhaps I should leave to let you rest for now. Kin-chan might wake up soon and freak out again when he finds out that I'm in your room."

He let out an easy chuckle before he stood up gracefully. He was half-way towards the sliding door when he heard her delicate voice again.

"Kunimitsu-_nii_…couldn't- he wouldn't have done it."

Turning back to face the girl, Shiraishi was surprised to see her looking at him with a pleading look in her eyes, as if silently asking him to agree with what she just said.

Unfortunately, as he had personally been apprehended by Tezuka—not to mention that all evidence also point to Tezuka being the perpetrator—he simply cannot bring himself to lie to her. As difficult as it is to believe, the Seigaku captain might really not be the good man they all thought he was.

Sakuno saw sympathy in Shiraishi's eyes and suddenly felt foolish. Even after everything, even after she had personally seen the_ buchou_ shoot her at that cliff, she still refused to believe that her _nii-san_ could do something as terrible as that.

_How utterly stupid. _

Perhaps Ryoma had been right all along. She really is too naïve for her own good.

"_Gomen_. I should- I should really try to stop being so stupid," Sakuno hurriedly apologized, now irriitated with herself.

"_Yareyare ya_. Stupid is such an unjust word for you," Shiraishi exclaimed in a disapproving tone before he showed her a genuine kind smile. "You just prefer to believe in the goodness of people. Although that may make you appear as naïve to most, including me, I don't necessarily consider that as stupidity."

The _buchou_'s eyes glinted with sharp intelligence as he said his next words. "In fact, it's people who have pure hearts, like you, who often see the real truth amidst all the lies. I hope that you remain true to yourself and that you follow the right path, no matter how difficult it may be."

After flashing her one last smile, Shiraishi went out and gently slid the door close after him. Left alone in the room, Sakuno could only ponder upon the meaning of his cryptic words.

_The right, yet difficult path…_

_But what exactly is it?_

* * *

The entire room was dead silent again.

Everyone was busy staring at the image projected in front of them—the captured image of Tezuka Kunimitsu as he was caught holding a dagger behind a tree.

"_M-Masaka_…" Momo murmured, now in obvious denial. He looked at his teammates, desperately searching for some sort of rebuttal in their eyes—something that can explain what Tezuka was doing with a dagger in that camera. Sadly, he wasn't able to find what he was searching for.

"He was with us back at the festival. Wasn't he with us?" the second year asked, grasping for anything—anything at all—that can absolve their captain.

When Inui decided to answer his question, the data man's voice came out hollow. "I checked the timing of the events. When this particular picture was taken, we were all separated for we wanted to check out different booths at the festival."

Momo's mouth opened and closed. Once. Twice. However, the boy couldn't think of anything else that can rebut or explain what stood in front of them—the horrifying truth captured by the camera.

The players spent the next silent moments trying to take the evidence in—that Tezuka is not one of them anymore…that he has become their _enemy_.

Their rumination was soon interrupted by the loud sound of the door opening. In came the person who always comes to places with a huge _bang_.

"_Ah-n_, so you did gather almost everyone who mattered," he said in his suave voice as he raked his glance around the room. "Excellent. This will save _ore-sama_ the time and effort to have to announce to every single school."

"Atobe?" Gakuto grumbled in surprise from his corner.

The Hyoutei _buchou_ marched towards the center of the room and assumed the position of being the temporarily leader of them all.

"I heard everything you discussed since you had started," Atobe informed them as he casually pointed to an earpiece stylishly placed in his ear. He had a listening device installed in the room and that was how he was able to listen to the discussion without having to be physically present in there.

"Now that everything seems settled," the Hyoutei _buchou _ignored the projected picture on the white board. He somehow temporarily discarded whatever personal feelings he might have of the matter. After all, Tezuka is someone who he had learned to respect and admire as well—even if it is in his own Atobe way.

"I have important news to announce." Atobe pulled out a sheet of paper that had been folded thrice as was customary when one places a letter in an envelope. Without unfolding the letter, he held it up in his hand and showed it to the entire group.

Sanada immediately recognized the physical appearance of the paper. He had spent a long time studying its properties back when he was trying to trace it back to its maker—it's the same kind of paper that the perpetrator uses for his threat letters. The Rikkai _fukubuchou_ suddenly had a bad feeling about this.

"_Ore-sama_ is being _persuaded_ to host a huge tennis tournament. He had called it 'a challenge' for us. The location and date are specified in this letter. It would take place the day after tomorrow and every major school is invited," Atobe calmly informed them.

_What the-?_

A huge tennis tournament?

That meant tons of tennis players gathered in one place at the same time.

What a _convenient_ event for a murderer who had been targeting tennis players. The motive and intent for this tournament are blatantly obvious. Everyone in the room pretty much got what this proposal meant.

They would all be _sitting ducks_ just waiting to be killed out there!

"_Sonna baka na_!" Shishido exclaimed, staring at Atobe incredulously. He can hardly believe why Atobe seemed to be so calm about this. It almost seemed as if-

"We have to attend," another cool voice proclaimed from the doorway. When the players glanced towards the door to see who it was, hardened, dark blue eyes greeted them—something that they rarely see revealed to them as the person usually has them closed.

But not this time.

Not when Fuji Syuusuke was in a very serious mood. In fact, he almost looked pissed.

"We have to attend this tournament," Fuji repeated. "Yuuta's life depends on it."

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Oh my gosh. I never thought I would ever finish this chapter. It seemed super long to me and it's not really my most favorite chapter to write since it's mostly explanations and such. But I owe you guys those, so I had to do it.

And I just realized how hard it is to write a scene with all of those regulars present there. Lol! It's such a big group. So I'll just ask you to remember that most of them are there, even if they didn't have dialogues. They're in there somewhere...just quiet? xD

Anyway, the next chapter should be a bit more fun to write so I'm looking forward to it. Please review before you go! Thanks for reading ^o^

**Japanese Vocab:**

_Naru hodo_ – I see

_Shikashi – _However; but

_Moushi wake arimasen_ – I'm sorry; It's inexcusable

_Soya_ – that's right (Osakan dialect)

_Akan wa_ – No good (Osakan dialect)

_Yareyare ya_ – exclamation of disappointment

_Masaka_ – It can't be

_Sonna baka na_ – Isn't that stupid?


	34. Reunion

**XXXIV. Reunion**

Oishi stepped forward as he saw the _tensai_'s expression. "Fuji? What do you mean by that? And where have you been all this time? We've been worried about you."

"Investigating," Fuji replied as he walked into the room. "It gave him quite a scare so he attacked my weakness. He took Yuuta hostage, just like how he took Kirihara before, and…" The _tensai _glanced at the center of the room, where Atobe was currently standing. "And just like how he took Kabaji, am I right, Atobe?"

Atobe said nothing but the expression on his face indicated that Fuji was correct. That was one of the main reasons why he is even complying to the murderer's demands. He knew it was risky, yes. He knew it's basically suicide, yes. But he simply cannot bring himself to sacrifice the life of his teammate, who had done nothing but be loyal to him throughout the years.

"Kabaji had been taken by Te- the murderer?" Shishido asked, still not used to calling the Seigaku captain a murderer. When he received a "that's right" from Atobe, he looked down and silently cursed.

"Darn, he's good."

"Of course. We shouldn't forget who we're up against," was Yukimura's somber reply.

"He had indicated in this last threat letter that if we don't comply by his demands, Kabaji's and Fuji Yuuta's lives would be sacrificed," Atobe added.

"_Yareyare_, I guess that leaves us no other choice but to attend this tournament and face his challenge," Oshitari said, shrugging.

Tachibana frowned at that. "_Mh._ I understand your feelings as my own little sister," his eyes blazed for a moment as he remembered how badly An had been hurt, "was also attacked by this murderer. However," the captain continued, staring at them with his ever-serious eyes. "I cannot bring myself to willingly risk the lives of the other innocent tennis players who will be participating in this tournament. That is unjust for them."

About half of the tennis players in the room silently agreed with Tachibana. It is indeed a serious business to decide the fate of the lives of the others—especially since it is obvious that the challenge was another trap craftily formulated by the perpetrator.

"_Ore-sama_ considered that too. But after some deliberation, I believe that participating in this tournament is the best course of action we can take for now," Atobe explained.

"And why is that?" Tachibana continued to challenge.

"Not accepting his challenge doesn't mean we won't ever have to deal with him again. In fact, if we do decline, he most likely would get desperate and resort to harsher methods to obtain what he wants. At least, if we do what he asks of us now, we'll vaguely have a clue as to when he will attack and-"

"We'll be somewhat prepared," Sanada finished for Atobe.

Atobe nodded. "_Sono toori da_."

"That makes perfect sense," Yukimura agreed.

"Of course, we won't implement this plan unless we get a unanimous decision in this room," the Hyoutei captain gallantly said. "However, _ore-sama_ does employ each one of you to weigh your options wisely."

With those words, he gave them a few moments to formulate a decision.

Yukimura took a second to look at his teammates before he smiled confidently. The expressions on their faces made their decision obvious.

"Rikkai will participate," the blue-haired _buchou_ announced to the room.

Sengoku followed Yukimura's lead. "So will Yamabuki. We need to avenge Akutsu, after all," the happy-go-lucky player said, shrugging.

Atobe waited for a nod from Oshitari and his other teammates before he also announced that Hyoutei would, of course, be participating.

"My Brilliant Insight tells me that I will have 8 votes for yes from my teammates," Chitose lightly joked. "So I guess that's an affirmative for Shitenhouji too."

It took a while for Tachibana to say something, but seeing as his close friend, Chitose, has already agreed to this plan, the _Fudomine_ captain said yes in the end. After all, Atobe's reasoning made perfect sense to him.

"I've already contacted St. Rudolph," Fuji informed the group. "They said they would gladly participate for Yuuta's sake."

The players then turned to Seigaku, waiting for the final response.

With a simple nod, Inui said: "There's no question about it. Seigaku is in."

"Well, I guess that settles it," Atobe proudly announced to the large group. "We'll accept _his _challenge."

_Individually_, _they're already formidable._

_What more if they're together?_

_But then again, it is __**Tezuka Kunimitsu**__ who they are going to go against—undebatably among the best and smartest of them all._

* * *

The meeting room was almost empty when he approached him. Staring at the ground, he wasn't able to find the right words to communicate what he wanted to say—if he even wanted to say it.

"Fuji-_senpai_…" Ryoma called out. The _tensai _turned his head upon hearing his name called.

At the door of the meeting room, Atobe and Sanada—who were among the few who still remained in the room—saw the boy slowly hobble over to the _tensai_.

Fuji caught the meaningful looks that the Rikkai _fukubuchou_ and the Hyoutei captain gave him before they finally left the room to give the two Seigaku players some privacy. The _tensai_ understood what they were trying to communicate.

"_Nh_? What is it, Echizen?" Fuji uttered, finally turning his attention back to the first year regular. The _tensai_ patiently waited for him to say something.

"Is it…just that easy?" Ryoma finally decided to say. When Tooyama Kintarou had asked him that question not so long ago—about what he'll do once he finds out that it was his Tezuka-_buchou_ who was committing the murders—the prince had answered in an apathetic manner. It's because back then, he didn't even consider how it would feel like since he was absolutely _certain_ that it couldn't be Tezuka. He knew the captain well. There was no way it could have been him. Or at least that was what he thought anyway.

Now that cold hard facts had mercilessly crushed down that illusion, he found that it was extremely difficult to deal with the reality.

Fuji stared at the boy, knowing perfectly well how he was feeling at the moment. He was feeling the same way too.

"No, it's not. But we must deal with it, even if it's difficult," the _tensai_ said, his eyes now closed as he turned away from Ryoma.

"Because when it comes down to it, I would choose Yuuta in a heartbeat. I cannot let any harm come to my brother," Fuji admitted, his tone carrying a hint of remorse. "On top of that, we have a challenge to prepare for and other tennis players to protect. That is why…" The _tensai _opened his eyes again, giving Ryoma a glimpse of his beautiful blue eyes.

"Echizen," Fuji started. "Sanada, Atobe, and I have a favor to ask."

* * *

"It's 10:29:07 in the evening. Are you certain you still want to go?" Inui asked, tight-lipped, as he was forcefully shoved into Nanjiroh's car.

Ryoma threw his crutches into the car after Inui. He soon took a seat beside them.

Before Inui could even take a step outside of the Hyoutei Academy, Ryoma had managed to corner him. Of course, the prince didn't forget that Inui swore to personally take him to Sakuno right after the meeting.

Ryoma smirked. "A promise is a promise, _senpai_."

The data man could only let out a helpless sigh as he readjusted his glasses on his nose and prepared for the long drive to the old dojo.

* * *

"That should do it, dear! Now your pretty self wouldn't have to worry about bloody and sticky bandages."

Koharu motherly assured as he finished replacing Sakuno's bandages. As of the moment, the girl only had a mild fever and was somehow more energetic than she appeared earlier.

"_Arigatou_, Koha-"

"Ah! Nah uh, what did I tell you to call me?" Koharu stopped the girl, wagging his index finger in front of her face.

"_H-hai_. _Gomen_. _A-arigatou,_ _okaa-san_," Sakuno muttered with a weak smile as she sweatdropped. She still doesn't know why Koharu would want her to call him _okaa-san_, but since he was kind enough to take care of her and all, she just gladly went along with it.

"Oh, I wish you could meet your _otou-san_ then. He's such a handsome guy, oh yes, my Yuu-kun!" The Shitenjouji _tensai_ made a lovey-dovey look with his eyes and started kissing the air for no reason. Sakuno didn't know whether to be amused or to be scared, so she just smiled like she always did.

Luckily, she was saved by soft knocks on the sliding door.

"_Yo_, Koharu? Are you finished there? We have some visitors," came Shiraishi's voice from the other side of the door.

Koharu glanced at the door, before conspiratorially whispering to Sakuno. "But you can call Kurarin your _otou-san_ too. He's handsome enough." He winked at the blinking brunette before he made a hushing sound. "Just don't tell Yuu-kun, he would get mad again. He's such a jealous guy, speaking of jealous guys-"

"Koharu, we can hear you, you know," Shiraishi exclaimed from the door, now a little frustrated.

"Aww. I guess we'll just have to postpone our boy talk for some other time then," Koharu muttered with a pout before he told Shiraishi that it's okay to open the sliding door now.

When the door finally opened to reveal the people on the other side, Sakuno saw the tall form of Inui staring back at her, a hint of a relieved smile was on his face. Standing on his right was Shiraishi, who immediately went into the room to pick up Koharu and soon dragged him out towards the door. The Shitenhouji _buchou_ was polite enough to give the others some privacy.

And to Inui's left…

She saw golden, feline-like eyes staring at her intensely.

* * *

"It's good to see you're doing well, Ryuzaki-san," Inui said, breaking the silence in the room. He noticed that the girl apparently didn't hear him. She was busy staring at Ryoma with wide eyes.

Looking beside him, the data man saw the same expression reflected on the first year's face. The two seemed to be just staring at each other, lost in their own world, and not caring about anything or anyone else.

He suddenly felt very awkward in the room as he felt the high tension in the atmosphere.

Coughing, since the data man didn't want to blush, he quickly settled to head out the door.

"I have some things to discuss with Shiraishi so I'll be waiting outside," Inui proclaimed, not really caring if they heard his excuse or not. He gently shut the door behind him, happy to leave the suffocating, tension-filled room.

Sakuno was the first to break her staring competition with Ryoma. She looked down at her lap, her cheeks flushing.

"R-Ryoma-kun, it's nice to see y-"

Before she can even finish her sentence, she felt an arm encircle her head and quickly pull her towards a hard chest. Ryoma had clumsily discarded his crutch to the side, as he kneeled on a knee before her and enveloped her in a one-armed embrace. He hugged her head close to him, settling his chin on top of her head.

Sakuno felt her heartbeat quicken as their current positions slowly dawned on her.

"R-Ryo-?"

"_Baka!_" he shouted. Sakuno had to flinch as she felt the intensity of his voice reverberate from his chest.

"You're really such an idiot," he repeated, but with a voice a bit softer this time. She felt him pull her closer to him, if that was even still possible.

"Next time you do something as stupid as that, I'll…" Ryoma trailed off.

"I'll…" he tried again, but nothing came out.

When he failed to come up with any intelligent thing to say, he just silently cursed and hugged her more tenderly.

"Darn it. Just…" the prince said and whispered his next words to her ears in an agonized voice. "Just try not to worry me too much next time, okay?"

Sakuno, too touched by his actions and words to say anything, simply nodded and allowed her head to rest on Ryoma's chest.

She was able to let out a muffled "_g__omen nasai_" on his shirt, which she knew he understood somehow.

The teenagers stayed in that position for a while, both lost in the bliss of reunion. That was until Sakuno began to feel something. She was so startled by Ryoma hugging her that her system was able to block it temporarily.

"_A-ano, _Ryoma-kun…" the brunette muttered hesitantly.

"_Nh_? _Nani_?" Ryoma asked lazily, too comfortable with their current position to notice anything else.

Sakuno was almost embarrassed to say her next word but she had to. It was beginning to inconvenience her.

"_I-Itai_…"

Yap.

In all the excitement, she forgot that her shoulder was indeed injured and now throbbing in pain as it was squeezed by Ryoma's intense hug.

As if burnt by her words, the prince immediately let her go and distanced himself at least three feet away from her. He glanced to the side in an effort to hide his flaming cheeks from her.

"…"

"…"

And with that, everything was back to normal between them—adorable awkwardness and all.

* * *

"A picture of him was taken in the camera?" Sakuno asked in a tone of disbelief. Even though she had realized that it was what the murderer had been wanting from her, she had remained oblivious as to what was captured in the camera.

"And everyone knows now?"

Ryoma just nodded. He had spent the last few minutes telling her what was discussed at the meeting that took place about an hour ago.

Frowning, Sakuno clutched the bottom hem of her oversized shirt. Half of her body was still covered by the blanket Koharu had kindly lent to her. She was sitting up, leaning against the wall of the room.

"Ryoma-kun…Tezuka-_buchou_- Kunimitsu-_nii _wouldn't have done it. There has to be an explanation. I'm- I'm sure there is," she suddenly exclaimed, giving Ryoma that cute, pleading look in her eyes that basically doomed every living man to helplessly fall under her charm. The fact that her hair was currently unbraided and free to fall down her shoulders in long and enticing wavy curls didn't help either. It just made the situation worse for him.

The prince had to look away from her in order to concentrate on their topic.

"Somehow, I knew you'd say that," Ryoma muttered, trying to keep his eyes glued to the ground. "That's why we'll find it."

Sakuno blinked, not expecting those words to come out of Ryoma's mouth. "_Eh_?"

"Fuji-_senpai_ and some of the others had asked us to do it—to investigate the motive. When we discover the motive, then we'll find our answer. We'll know whether Tezuka-_buchou_ is really the man we all thought he was."

The brunette lowered her glance as well, thinking about what the prince just said. "And if we find out he isn't?"

Ryoma let out a sigh and closed his eyes briefly before he answered her. He had started to prepare himself for the worst. "Then at least we can say that we did everything in our power to clear his name before we resolved to turn our backs on him. Fuji-_senpai_ and the rest of the regulars aren't able to do it since they would be busy taking care of the tournament challenge. That's why he appointed you and me to investigate alone."

"You and me?" Sakuno repeated, not sure if she heard him correctly. Ryoma had been so adamant about keeping her away from the serial murderer business before. That's why she wondered why he was suddenly okay with her tagging along with him.

"That's right. We'll begin tomorrow," Ryoma simply said.

The brunette still doubted his words. "Is that okay?"

"Fuji-_senpai_ said that you might know some things about Tezuka-_buchou_ that we don't. And so, he thought you could help me a lot in this investigation," the prince explained.

"_Ah_, _sou_," Sakuno said, somewhat disappointed. She should've known that the only reason he was taking her with him was because their Fuji-_senpai_ instructed him to.

"_Doushita_? Don't you feel safe with me?" Ryoma suddenly asked, belatedly noticing her hesitation to be with him. What he really wanted to ask was whether she preferred to be with _someone else_ than him. However, he just settled for that question.

The prince had an annoyed look on his face as he glared at the ground. Of course, he would take her hesitation the wrong way.

Sakuno panicked when she saw the displeasure in his eyes. She soon frantically shook her head in an adorable fashion and started to crawl towards him, intending to inform the prince that he got it all wrong.

"_Iie, iie_! That's not what I meant. I already mentioned before that I trust Ryoma-kun with my life and-"

Distracted by her rant, Ryoma made the mistake of looking back at her.

_Bad move_.

_Reeeally bad move_.

Because as the girl crawled over to him, her oversized shirt started to slip over her uninjured shoulder, thus exposing creamy white skin to his sharp eyes.

'_Kuso_.'

The prince quickly distanced himself from her as if his own life depended on it. He crawled back towards the opposite wall, all the while covering his nose to make sure there's no blood coming out of it.

'_Kuso…_It should be a crime to be that cute,' the prince suddenly found himself complaining.

Seeing Ryoma's weird actions, Sakuno froze on her way to him and simply settled to sit back up.

"Ryoma-kun? _Daijobu_?" the brunette asked as she looked at him with genuine concern in her eyes. She got the feeling that he didn't want to be near her so she just kept her distance from him. "Are you feeling good?"

"_A-ah_," Ryoma affirmed, obviously distracted. "Can you-" he trailed off and turned his head to glare at the ground again. He's been finding it quite interesting lately. "Your shirt…"

Sakuno had to incline her head at his question before she was able to get the meaning of his words. Quickly, she pulled on her left sleeve to even out the placing of the huge shirt on her body. She was blushing madly when she apologized to Ryoma a few seconds later.

"_Gomen nasai_! There weren't any clothes available that fit me and so I had to borrow Shiraishi-san's shirt and-"

The rest of her words were turned to gibberish in Ryoma's brain right after he heard the word "shirt" and a different guy's name in the same sentence.

"Whose?" the prince asked, now looking back up to examine her shirt. He soon noticed a small insignia of the Shitenhouji school embroidered at the corner of it. For some reason, it felt so wrong to him. It's as if she was being branded as possession of someone else. He suddenly got reminded of the uneasy, sick feeling he felt when he saw Kirihara lend his jersey jacket to Sakuno on that one fateful night when he first unluckily broke his ankle.

Sakuno was still ranting when he said his next word:

"_Dame_."

Startled by what he said, Sakuno stopped from rambling and stared at the prince. "_Eh_? What's no good, Ryoma-kun?"

"That shirt," he answered absent-mindedly, still staring at the offending Shitenhouji insignia. And as his brain was too occupied—with thoughts of annoying red eyes, slow brunettes, seaweed hair, and some other irritating tennis players—Ryoma wasn't paying attention when he said his next words out loud:

"Take it off."

* * *

Kenya, Shiraishi, and Inui almost fell face-first on the floor when they heard Ryoma say "take it off" from the other side of the sliding door.

They weren't trying to be nosy, no. That's so unlike them (for the most part)_. _But since they had heard tons of interesting things coming from inside, and well, the fact there is a teenage girl and a teenage boy alone in that room, they got worried.

It all started when…

_Kenya was innocently walking through the hallway, intending to grab a water bottle from another room when he heard shuffling sounds inside Sakuno's room. Curious, he paused for a moment to listen to what was going on inside. That's when he heard:_

"_I-Itai…"_

_The "speed star of Naniwa" felt the flush of embarrassment as his mature mind unwillingly imagined what was most likely going on inside. He quickly dashed to the common room where Inui and Shiraishi were discussing things and told them what happened._

"_N-na aho na," Shiraishi uttered incredulously. He refused to believe that those two would do something like that, in a dojo full of other people for pete's sake._

_Inui good-naturedly offered to check what was going on, reasoning out that they were his kouhais, and thus, his responsibility._

_The data man came back a minute later and told the other two that all he heard from the room was Ryoma and Sakuno's discussion of what went on at the meeting._

_With that settled, the three players let the matter go for the mean time._

_And then, a few more minutes later…_

_Kenya was walking through the hallway again, this time, to grab some food from another room. As if somebody up there was playing with him, he heard:_

"_Ryoma-kun, daijobu? Are you feeling good?"_

"_A-ah"_

"_Can you-… Your shirt…"_

_The speed star of Shitenhouji dashed to where Shiraishi and Inui were at again, but this time, also forcefully dragged them to the door of Sakuno's room so they can personally hear what he had been hearing._

_That's what basically took them to where they are now_.

"It can't be," Inui whispered, white-faced. "My calculation had said that it would take at least 10 more years before they get to this level of intimacy."

Kenya, still flushing from his overly active imagination, looked at the other players and asked in a hushed voice: "Well, what're we going to do now?"

Shiraishi thought for a moment and decided: "Let's listen."

* * *

It took a second or two before Ryoma realized what he just said and he instantly regretted it with a silent curse. Both of their cheeks turned red in no time and Ryoma had to desperately search his brain for some sort of excuse for his embarrassing blunder.

"I meant… because that shirt is bad," he mumbled. "Right… cotton shirts are bad."

_Really smart, Ryoma_.

Sakuno blinked again, now more confused than ever. The prince was acting so weird.

"But most shirts are made of cotton," she humbly reminded him.

"That's why… it's bad," he proudly repeated, not willing to admit how lame his excuse sounded. "Didn't you know? They said it in a TV show."

_And he's not helping his case_.

"_Hontou_?" Sakuno asked innocently. "Which one?"

She couldn't think of any TV show that discusses the advantages and disadvantages of certain fabrics unless it's one of those home economics ones. And frankly, she cannot just imagine Ryoma watching a Martha Stewart-type program.

Grimacing, Ryoma realized that too and tried to think of something that can dispel that image of him watching "old-lady" TV shows.

'Think of something manly… Think of something manly…'

"_Boys- Boys and Clothes_," the prince fibbed and grudgingly thought, 'Darn it, why am I still talking again?'

"_Boys…and Clothes_," Sakuno repeated slowly. "I've never heard of that show. But I rarely watch TV so I- I don't know that much TV shows," the girl quickly added with a nervous smile on her face, hoping she didn't offend the prince by implying that he was lying—although he really was anyway.

Before Ryoma could embarrass himself more (if that's still possible), the teenagers started to hear whispers from the other side of the sliding door, which gradually got louder as seconds went by.

* * *

"Move, Shiraishi! I cannot hear much from this side," Kenya muttered, trying to push the _buchou_ off to the side.

Unfortunately, the captain refused to move from his spot.

"Too bad, you'll just have to suffer. I got this spot first."

Kenya started to push against him. "You didn't believe they would do it at first! Why are you so interested now?"

Shiraishi smirked. "I'm just having a good time listening to the freshman prodigy of Seigaku make a fool of himself in front of the girl he likes."

On the other hand, Inui was just looking at the two with an incredulous expression on his face. His brow was beginning to twitch, "If you two continued your loud conversation, pretty soon-"

The sliding door, which they were currently standing in front of, suddenly opened.

Glancing towards the room, they saw the proud form of Echizen Ryoma, standing right in the doorway and blocking Sakuno from their vision. The prince icily stared at them, his golden eyes seemingly ready to pounce at them any second now.

"-that will happen," Inui calmly finished his sentence. He had accepted his fate now.

Kenya and Shiraishi quickly straightened up and chuckled nervously in front of the prince.

"We were…just passing by. _Ne_, Shiraishi?" Kenya asked, nudging the captain with his elbow.

"_Soya_." Shiraishi smiled easily. "Continue whatever you were doing. We'll be…on our way then." The Shitenhouji players were about to sprint away from Ryoma's sight when they heard his cool, apathetic voice.

"Shiraishi-san," Ryoma said, his voice still calm and quiet, yet they can all detect the silent threat in his voice.

"You're still Shitenhouji's _buchou_, right?"

"_Aa_, yes," Shiraishi answered, wondering what that question had to do with anything at the moment.

A dark smirk forebodingly appeared on the prince's aristocratic face. "Want to play a tennis match with me?"

_Oh boy_…

* * *

"_Oyaji,_ I'm staying here for the night. Just come pick us up tomorrow," Ryoma said on the phone. He was currently looking for an extra futon in the storage closet of an empty room, in which he was given the privilege to sleep for the night.

Unfortunately, the match he had asked for was wisely denied for a couple of obvious reasons.

First, because it was already around 11:55 at night. Second, because there wasn't a tennis court available in the immediate vicinity. Lastly, and the most obvious of them all, he still had a recovering ankle to think about.

'_Still, it would've been nice to pound some tennis balls into that Ecstasy-muttering- Wait. Where did that come from?'_

To make matters worse, Koharu had heard what the huge commotion was all about. As a result, they all got kicked out of the brunette's room and were told to get some sleep right away. After all, they have important things to do in the morning so they cannot afford to spend the rest of the night goofing off.

"_Wakatta, wakatta_. You're leaving me to make up excuses for your mom and that rabid grandmother of your girlfriend again."

"_Che_."

"You're welcome, son," was Nanjiroh's sarcastic reply. "Well, if that's everything, I'll just see you tomorrow then. Don't take advantage of the fact that you and that girl are sleeping under the same roof."

Ryoma tried his best to ignore that last comment and quickly muttered, "_Oyaji_, I need you to bring two sets of clothes for me tomorrow."

"Two sets?" Nanjiroh asked, curious. "Why do you need two? You're not staying there for that long, right?"

"Just because," was Ryoma's curt reply. "_Oyasumi._"

After that, the prince hung up on his father.

* * *

Nanjiroh grumbled as he heard the busy tone on his phone. He was in the middle of ranting about ungrateful youths and such when he heard his cellphone ring again. When he checked the caller ID on his screen, a smirk suddenly appeared on his face.

"I was wondering when you'd call back. We're running out of time, y'know," he said to the other guy on the phone.

"Gimme a break. It had only been three hours since you first called me. You're lucky I'm even doing this for you," was the cool reply from the other end of the line.

"So? Did you find what I asked you to look for?" Nanjiroh asked, now with a hint of seriousness in his tone.

"_Touzen da_. I needed to contact a hacker buddy of mine here in L.A. but I got what you asked for. I'm faxing the articles over to you as we speak."

"Sweet. I knew I could count on you, boy."

Nanjiroh heard a cocky "heh" from the other end of the line. "You only remember that you have another son at times like this."

"_Oi-"_

"Just kidding. I'm not that sentimental. But anyway, I gotta go. I have a date in half an hour. Just say 'hey' to _chibisuke_ for me, won't 'ya? _Jya_. "

For the second time that night, Nanjiroh was left with nothing but a busy tone after a crude goodbye.

Blinking as he stared at his cellphone, he couldn't help but let out an amused chuckle.

"I guess those two are more alike than it seems."

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Okay, so there were about two serious things that happened in this chapter and the rest is all crack? Hahah.

Well, even though I didn't literally mention who Nanjiroh was talking to in the last scene, I'm pretty sure it's obvious to most of you already. Whatever it is they were talking about, I shall reveal in the next chapter.

And, of course, we'll also get back to serious business next time. Until then!

Please don't forget to leave a review!

**Japanese Vocab:**

_Yareyare _ - exclamation of disappointment (Osakan dialect)

_Sono toori da_ – that's exactly right

_Okaa-san_ - mother

_Otou-san_ - father

_Baka_ - idiot

_Itai_ - It hurts

_Nani – _What

_Sou_ – is that so

_Doushita?__– _What's wrong?

_Iie_ - No

_Dame_ – No good

_N-na aho na _ - That's too stupid to be true (Osakan dialect)

_Hontou_ – Really?

_Soya_ - that's right (Osakan dialect)

_Oyaji_ – old man

_Oyasumi_ – good night

_Touzen da – _Of course; It's only to be expected

_Chibisuke_ – another form of "ochibi" coined by Echizen Ryoga

_Jya_ – see you


	35. Four Little Monkeys

**XXXV. Four Little Monkeys**

Wednesday, 4:10 am

The sun was still below the horizon when the tennis regulars who had gathered in the Atobe residence rose from the comfort of their soft beds. They met in one of the mansion's spacious rooms in order to discuss their plans for the tournament that's scheduled for the next day.

"_Ore-sama_ had already instructed some agents to inspect the huge dome where _he_ wanted the tennis tournament to be held. However, I don't trust those guys half as I trust any of you," Atobe paused and hardened his eyes slightly to offset the indirect compliment he just gave the other players. Although it was unlike him to give compliments to anyone other than himself, the respect he held for the regulars in the room was undeniable. In fact, though the "King" would never admit it out loud, he can even trust the other players with his own life. "That's why I'd prefer if some of you accompany my agents when they leave in about half an hour to examine the dome."

"That sounds good," Oshitari complimented from Atobe's right. "I'll gather a group that would inspect the place."

Fuji, who was in his usual thinking pose as he leaned against the front wall of the room, seemed unsatisfied with the plan.

"Working on defense alone is not enough. We must think of attacking as well," the _tensai_ advised the group.

Tachibana grunted as his face also took on a thoughtful look. "I understand what you mean, Fuji, but as long as he has hostages, he has us wrapped around his little finger. We can hardly do anything lest it upsets him and he resorts to kill them."

"Then we must work on discovering where he is holding his hostages. Once we rescue them, we'll be free to deal with this guy as we please," Yukimura said, his eyes glinting with unspoken anger though none of it showed on his face.

"How? Do we even have any other leads on this guy?" Sengoku asked, glancing around the room for anyone who can provide an answer to his question. He suddenly paused as an idea popped in his head. "_Oi_, that guy's house! Has anyone inspected Tezuka-kun's house? Maybe he left some valuable information in there that can lead us to where his bases are."

Fuji's eyes remained closed as he muttered a reply to the orange-haired regular, "It's useless. I already inspected Tezuka's room a couple of days ago. Everything is normal. He is good at keeping things that he wants to be hidden away from prying eyes."

Sengoku sighed. "_Aryarya_, Tezuka-kun is such a formidable opponent."

"We do have other leads." Oshitari allowed his lips to curl into a cunning smirk as he looked at the others. "Based on the discussion last night, I can think of two leads that we can follow."

Atobe, who had immediately caught what Oshitari was getting at, shot down the first lead Oshitari was about to mention. "If you're thinking about the owner of the paper store where he gets his signature threat papers from, then it's no use. The owner is as innocent as he can be. I conducted an investigation of him right after his store exploded. His only fault was that he contacted the perpetrator to ask whether information about him can be released. That's how the murderer knew that Sanada and I were onto him."

Niou decided to finally speak up for the first time since the discussion started. "Then the other lead that the_ tensai-_san over there is referring to must be that gun maker who gave me the fake address, which turned out to be a trap."

Oshitari nodded, "Exactly."

"He could turn out to be a good lead if we can only find him. Even though I spent about a week trying to trace his whereabouts, the most I was able to do was get his e-mail address," Niou clucked his tongue as he thought of a way to get a hold of the gun maker. "If only we have _yakuza_ connections, then this will all be easy."

To the trickster's surprise, his own _buchou_ creepily smiled at that comment. "Then give me the screen name of this gun maker you're referring to."

* * *

Abandoned Dojo, 7:06 am

"_Hontou ni arigatou gozaimasu_. I don't know how I can ever repay all of your kindness," Sakuno said in her soft voice as she bowed before the four Shitenhouji regulars who had saved her. She was in the middle of saying her goodbyes to them since they were all going to be separated for the rest of the day. The Shitenhouji players will join the others in preparing for the tournament while she and Ryoma would start their hunt for the killer's motive. Inui, on the other hand, had already left an hour early to join his teammates.

Shiraishi looked at the girl with a fond smile on his face. He couldn't help but be amused by what the brunette was wearing. When she had come out of her room earlier, almost all of them had their jaws hanging when they saw her clothes. Everything about her outfit—from the slightly bigger, red sports jacket, the red shirt, down to the black shorts and rubber shoes—screamed "Echizen's girl" to them. That's right. She was clad entirely in his clothes. But that didn't make her appear any less cute to them. In fact, she looked even more adorable in a boy's clothes.

Fortunately, Sakuno had the privilege to wear girly undergarments underneath all of Ryoma's clothes. It was thanks to the thoughtful Nanako, who had sneaked them in when Nanjiroh was packing for Ryoma's clothes last night. She had learned from the "samurai" tennis player that Sakuno was staying with Ryoma and the others for a day or two.

When the Shitenhouji regulars had asked about Sakuno's outfit, Ryoma had wisely explained that it's better to disguise her in those clothes while they're investigating so the murderer wouldn't be alerted that she's still alive. It was a wise excuse, indeed. He finally got his brain on the right track after he had humiliated himself erroneously last night.

"If you want to thank us, you can come visit us in Osaka once this is all over. We have tons of great things to show you-"

"_Muri_. She's busy," Ryoma snapped, interrupting the _buchou_'s invitation. The prince was suavely leaning against the side of Nanjiroh's car, with one hand in his shorts' pocket, as he waited for Sakuno to finish saying her goodbyes. When he decided that she had enough interaction with the Shitenhouji regulars to last her a life time, he called out to her, "_Ikou_, Ryuzaki."

Sakuno turned her head to look at Ryoma and nodded, "_H-hai_."

The girl gave the Shitenhouji regulars one last bow before she walked over to where Ryoma was waiting. Ryoma opened the door for her and closed it right after she entered the car. The prince was already able to walk around without the aid of his crutches. Though it was not a good idea since he just had his surgery, he had stubbornly refused to use them saying that they would only interfere with their current mission and that his cast would provide enough support for now. As he was stubborn as he can be, Nanjiroh had no choice but to just let the issue go.

Before Ryoma could go in the car, Shiraishi called out to him. For a few moments, the two players just stared at each other, eye-to-eye.

"Take care of her," Shiraishi finally told the younger boy. Though the expression on his face remained pleasant, his eyes glinted in a way that told the prince how serious he was and that if Ryoma did otherwise, he would have to answer to the _buchou_ himself.

"You don't have to tell me," was the prince's impertinent reply. Ryoma allowed a small smirk to grace his face before he said his next words, "_Mada mada da ne."_

After that, he got into the front passenger seat of Nanjiroh's car.

The Shitenhouji regulars watched the car drive away in silence. A few seconds passed before Koharu elbowed Shiraishi.

"And what was that all about, Kurarin? You can't possibly be thinking of stealing cute Saku-chan from our dear Kin-chan, are you? Such a naughty boy, you are!" Koharu loudly accused the "perfect" man beside him.

Shiraishi let out an innocent chuckle in response to his teammate's accusation. "_Sorya naide_. I'm actually a KinSaku fan. I'm just protecting my _kouhai_'s future girlfriend," the captain lightly joked.

"_Demo_ _sa_, that guy is too possessive for his own good. He won't even let her spend a minute alone with us," Kenya complained, referring to Ryoma's bratty attitude.

"With the way _senpai-tachi_ had acted last night, no one can blame him," was Zaizen's matter-of-fact comment.

Kenya simply sent him a glare, "_Oi_, whose team are you on again?"

"But that boy's handsome face and that cute jealous attitude of his remind me of my Yuu-kun. Oh, I miss him so!" Koharu muttered next to them with dramatic fake tears in his eyes.

His teammates just sweatdropped.

"Anyway, speaking of Kin-chan," Kenya suddenly muttered, "shouldn't we wake him up now?"

Shiraishi frowned, "_Ah_, no wonder I felt like I was forgetting something."

Kenya and Koharu fell face-first on the ground. _This time, for real._

Zaizen, on the other hand, just let out a short sigh as he watched the others from behind.

'My _senpai_'s are idiots…'

* * *

Nanjiroh presented a folder to Ryoma as soon as the boy put on his seatbelt in the car. He gave his son a few seconds to examine the item.

The prince took and opened the folder without complaint. As he looked at the bolded title of the first news article in the folder, his feline-like eyes suddenly hardened in alert before they moved to quickly scan the rest of its contents. When he got the gist of what the article was really about, he looked at his father, demanding for an explanation.

"Doesn't it match perfectly?" Nanjiroh asked without taking his eyes off the road as he drove.

"_Aa_, it's too perfect," Ryoma answered, his mind distracted by the facts he just read. "I don't get how this article managed to elude Inui-_senpai_ or Fuji-_senpai_. They have researched everything that had to do with that attack."

"Easy," Nanjiroh replied. "That fourteen-year-old article was hidden from the public's eyes."

From the back seat of the car, Sakuno just looked at the father and son duo in the front with a lost look in her eyes. She had absolutely no idea what they were talking about. It was more for her benefit when Nanjiroh spoke to explain things a second later.

"Let me back up a little," Nanjiroh started. "When the attack on Akutsu Jin happened, I already suspected that it somehow had to do with that case. It happened fourteen years earlier. I was offered the job to coach a tennis summer camp for high school students. But of course, I declined it because I was pretty much busy with this brat back then." He nodded his head at Ryoma before he snuck a glance at Sakuno from the rear view mirror in the car.

"It was your grandmother who ended up taking the job," Nanjiroh said, directing the statement to the brunette.

"Anyway, the training camp went well for everyone until a tragic accident happened. When the players attended a festival one night to wind down after a day of hard training, one of them had accidentally fallen off a cliff in a drunken stupor. It was the very same cliff that you fell from, Sakuno-chan," Nanjiroh paused.

"And the festival they went to was the _Tanabata_ festival."

There was a pregnant silence in the air as Nanjiroh allowed the teenagers to absorb what he just said. Sakuno's eyes widened in recognition. She was starting to connect the facts.

Nanjiroh soon continued his tale, "That player who fell off the cliff was called Kenji Yamamoto. However, he didn't have the same luck as Sakuno-chan did since he fell into a rockier part of the river and ended up dying. The stuck-up people in the Tennis Board Committee, who make a lot of money based on high school and middle school tennis tournaments, didn't want a big scandal so they did everything in their power to limit the investigation in this case. With handsome bribes and a few favors called, they were able to pass off Kenji's death as an accident. Even though everyone knew otherwise."

Sakuno frowned as she looked at Ryoma's dad. "It wasn't an accident?" she softly asked, somewhat afraid of the answer.

"_Aa_, it couldn't be an accident because Kenji didn't drink alcohol. Your grandmother knew that too and suspected that the other tennis players in the camp had something to do with it. They were acting suspiciously nervous and had a haunted look in their eyes after the accident happened." Nanjiroh narrowed his own eyes as he recalled the facts.

"Kenji Yamamoto was a tennis player who was often ridiculed and frowned upon at the summer camp. Although Kenji was a captain of one of the teams invited to this training session, his team was not as skilled as the others. That's why the other four captains in the summer camp looked down on him and treated him like dirt."

The brunette let out a soft gasp as she started to put two and two together, "Echizen-san, you can't be saying that those four captains…"

Nanjiroh nodded as he turned the car's wheel to the right in order to make a right turn. "That's right. Those four captains were directly involved in that 'accident.' In fact, they were responsible for it."

Ryoma turned his head towards his dad as he heard the last part of the story. That information wasn't included in the first news article he had read.

"It wasn't until a few years later when one of those four finally had the guts to confess. He had admitted that on that night, they forced Kenji to drink alcohol with them and in what they considered as a "joke" back then, asked Kenji to pick up tennis balls they had thrown around near the dark area of the cliff. That was how he had accidentally fallen off on that night."

Ryoma and Sakuno heard Nanjiroh cluck his tongue in disappointment. "Once again, the corrupt upper ups in the Tennis Board Committee didn't want a huge scandal to tarnish the tennis world so they quickly hushed up the entire issue and managed to ban every news article that discussed the 'accident' from being accessed by the Japanese public. That's why none of your _senpai_'s were able to find this important connection—those articles aren't available for access here in Japan and your generation had no idea about this tragedy that happened fourteen years ago. I had to contact your brother to access those articles from America to get around that ridiculous ban."

The prince raised one of his brows upon hearing that his adopted brother had given a hand on this case. That was rare enough.

"Did you check on the whereabouts of those four captains who were responsible for the accident?" Ryoma asked.

"Yes, they're all in the cemetery," was Nanjiroh's sarcastic reply. When Ryoma sent him a glare, the older man was forced to explain what he meant. "The first captain, who was actually the one who confessed, died of a natural cause. On the other hand, the other three died of 'mysterious' causes—a car crash, suicide, and I believe the last one was from an accidental explosion from his own kitchen stove."

"So he had taken care of them," the prince summarized. "Does this imply that the murderer has a grudge against tennis players because of what happened to Kenji? But why is he only taking out his anger now?" Ryoma questioned his father.

"Well, the confession about the crime and the whole truth about the accident didn't come out until two years ago. So perhaps, it had taken some time to plan his attack," Nanjiroh reasoned out.

"Does this Kenji Yamamoto have any relatives or close friends in the area?" Ryoma asked again, secretly hoping for an affirmative answer. Perhaps, it really wasn't their Tezuka-_buchou_ who has been doing all the killings, after all. He was just caught in this whole mess or got accidentally involved somehow.

"He's an orphan so I doubt that he has any living relatives left who actually care enough about his murder. As to close friends, the only best friend he made while he was still alive is already in Australia. So I doubt that he was responsible for the murders that happened recently," Nanjiroh answered.

Sakuno fisted her hands to contain the excitement she was feeling. Like Ryoma, a new hope blossomed in her heart that maybe they can still clear up her Kunimitsu-_nii_'s name.

"But at least we can say for now that Kunimitsu-_nii _doesn't have any motive to commit the murders, right?" she timidly asked the prince's dad.

Ryoma's and Sakuno's new found hope was quickly dashed to pieces when a grim expression appeared on Nanjiroh's face.

"That was what I was hoping for. Up until that incriminating picture of him was discovered and up until he shot Sakuno-chan, I was also stumped with the question of who has been committing the murders. But when your captain's name was added into the mix, that's when I finally saw the important connection that I somehow missed," Nanjiroh let out a sigh before he said his next sentence.

"Kenji Yamamoto was a close friend of the Tezukas."

* * *

Downtown Tokyo, 7:41 am

A group of nine tennis players got out of one of Atobe's luxurious cars and stepped into one of the shadier streets in downtown Tokyo. They immediately saw suspicious-looking people loitering around the place. Men dressed in gang outfits decorated with spikes and other shiny metals watched the tennis regulars as they passed by the street. Surprisingly enough, none of the goons were able to summon the guts to confront the players even though they certainly looked out of place in the area. The confident and threatening aura that the players exuded alone kept the others out of their way.

"Man, who would've thought Yukimura has _yakuza_ connections? Now I'm more scared of him than I was before," Marui Bunta whispered as he walked beside Niou. The trickster simply flashed an amused smirk as a reply to his teammate's comment. In contrast to the volley specialist, he gained more respect for Yukimura now that he knows that the _buchou_ has underground connections as well. If he played his cards right, perhaps he can use that to his advantage in the future.

The group—which consisted of Yukimura, Niou, Yagyuu, Bunta, Atobe, Shishido, Choutarou, Fuji, and Kaidoh—stopped in front of a small, rundown, two-story building located on a dead-end street. The first floor of the building was uncleverly disguised as a convenience store. Everyone can notice by the lack of goods displayed on the window of the shop that something else goes on in the building other than the buying and selling of normal goods.

Yukimura took a few seconds to scan the architecture and location of the building before he spoke.

"Niou, why don't you and Yagyuu take a small detour? Just to be safe," Yukimura flashed the trickster a cunning smile. Niou nodded in return. He knew exactly what Yukimura meant by taking "a small detour."

With Niou and Yagyuu gone, the remaining regulars proceeded to enter the first floor of the building. A bell rung in the shop as the door was opened.

"Not open… come back later," was the lazy greeting that met them once they were inside the shop. A tall and lanky, middle-aged man was passed out over the store's makeshift counter. He was attempting to recover from a bad hangover.

"We don't have the luxury of time to come back later," Atobe haughtily exclaimed as he stared at the drunken guy before them.

The lanky man made an effort to slowly raise his head in order to glare at the person who had rudely interrupted his nap and even had the guts to act scornfully arrogant in his own shop. His eyes suddenly widened in alert when he saw the bright colors of the players' tennis uniforms. Recognizing the people in front of him, the shop owner quickly scrambled up from his position at the counter and made a move to run out of the place using his back door. He acted as if he was a rat about to be devoured by starving cats.

Unfortunately, he soon found out that two other players were blocking his own backdoor.

With a teasing grin on his face, Niou nodded at the shop owner. "What's the rush, _nushi-san_?" the trickster asked in an innocent tone. "Won't you stay and have a friendly chat with us? Oh, I should probably introduce myself first. Masaharu Niou, at your service. I was the one to whom you sent that fake address to. Remember?"

Behind the trickster, Yagyuu's glasses flashed in a foreboding manner as he also directed his attention to the lanky guy.

The sight of the players frightened the man out of his wits. With a defeated and horrified expression on his face, he dropped to the ground and kneeled before all of them.

"I don't know anything! Please don't hurt me! I don't really know anything! Nothing at all!" he exclaimed in panic. His pleas sounded so unconvincing that Kaidoh and Shishido wanted to beat him up right there and then.

Atobe sighed, an annoyed look was clearly showing on his face. "This will take longer than I expected."

"_Saa_, why don't you close the blinds of the shop for us, Kaidoh?" was Fuji's calm command. He opened his eyes and flashed the lanky shop owner a sadistic smile. "Looks like we'll have some convincing to do."

"Choutarou, go out and serve as our look out," Atobe told his second year teammate.

"Marui, Yagyuu, why don't you join him?" Yukimura's melodic voice added.

The poor shop owner started to tremble as he watched the tennis players basically isolate him from society. One can only imagine what they were planning to do to him.

Atobe, Yukimura, and Fuji stepped back from the center of the room as Shishido, Niou, and Kaidoh approached the quavering man at the middle. Shishido started to crack his knuckles while Kaidoh settled for simply giving the guy a murderous look. Niou, on the other hand, took out a silver string and some other torture devices from his pocket. Where the trickster got those things from, no one has a clue. They didn't want to find out either.

Before the three could start their "fun," Fuji reprimanded them in his semi-feminine voice, "Try not to get too messy, would you?"

The shop owner almost peed his pants.

* * *

"Make sure you're buckled up," was Nanjiroh's last words to Ryoma and Sakuno before he suddenly took an unplanned, sharp right turn at an intersection. The quick motion of the car threw its passengers to the side, though their seatbelts fortunately managed to save them from being completely thrown off.

When Ryoma turned to give his dad a questioning glare, he saw the alert and serious expression on the older man's face. The prince instantly knew that something was up.

"We're being followed," was Nanjiroh's curt explanation as he expertly maneuvered the car through a couple more unexpected sharp turns. "That guy must've hired some petty crooks to spy for him. From here on, I think it's better if you guys investigate on foot. It's easier to lose guys who are following you in that way. Just be careful."

Right after he finished his sentence, he stopped the car right in front of a commercial building. Nanjiroh asked Ryoma and Sakuno to get out of the car. He further instructed them to enter the building they were in front of and to go out of it using the back exit. After that, he drove away from them without another word.

The teenagers had no choice but to follow what Nanjiroh told them to do. When they entered the building, only then did they notice the ostentatious red and pink theme of the interior of the place. At a far corner, many screens that show different types of suggestive bedrooms were displayed for the customers to choose from. On the right side of them was the front desk. The clerk, who was in charge of the place, glanced up from his work and eyed the two newcomers from head to toe.

"Aren't you guys too young to be in a love motel?" was his blunt question to them.

_Well, crap._

_Crap, crap, crap, crap_, _crap, crap._

And while a red-faced Sakuno tried to stammer out an excuse for being inside the building, Ryoma fisted his hand and allowed his bangs to cover up the furious expression in his golden eyes. He doesn't know whether his father deliberately took them there as a form of a sick joke or whether it's simply a coincidence. One thing he does know, however, is that he'll make that perverted man _pay_ for all of this someday.

Oh yes, _someday_.

* * *

"Alright, alright! I'll confess! I'll confess! I'll tell you everything I know just please stop!" the gun maker cried as Shishido was bending his arm backwards in a painful manner. Kaidoh and Niou haven't even had the chance to try their tactics on him when he broke. _What a pathetic guy._

"_Sore ja g__ekidasa daze!_" Shishido muttered in dismay of the guy's attitude. He bet the lanky guy before him doesn't have a single courageous bone in his body. The dash specialist bent the guy's arm further.

"I told you I'd confess! Stop it! Pleaaaaase!"

Shishido sent Atobe a questioning glance. With a single nod from the Hyoutei _buchou_, the dash specialist released the man's arm. The lanky guy cradled his arm as if it was broken.

"I really don't know anything about him aside from the fact that he seems to be well-connected to underground people. He's a tall guy with brown hair and he wears glasses. That's all I remember about his physical appearance. I sold him the gun and a couple more weapons. I gave you that fake address before because he told me he'd pay me a huge sum if I give that address to anyone who inquires about his whereabouts. That's it, I swear! That's really all there is to it! I don't know anything else about this guy!" the gun maker sent them a hateful look as he said his next words.

"But what I do know is that dude is way smarter than any of you," he let out a bitter chuckle. "He knew you'd come and find me to torture me for information, so he had set up a plan ahead of you. He visited me two days ago and gave me something."

Yukimura, Fuji, and Atobe frowned upon hearing his words. They saw the man crawl over to one of the beaten-up drawers in the shop, intending to pull out an item. The players thought he was going to pull out a weapon so they made a move to restrain him but they immediately froze on their spots when they saw the guy take out a familiar-looking paper instead of a weapon.

After he closed the drawer, the shop owner forced his legs to bear his weight. He then limped over to Fuji and handed the _tensai_ the paper.

Fuji carefully unfolded the letter. Yukimura and Atobe looked over Fuji's shoulder in order to see what's in it. Their eyes quickly displayed puzzlement as they read the contents of the paper.

In the paper was a cryptic, elementary riddle:

_**Four little monkeys jumping on the bed,  
one jumped up and broke his head,  
mommy called the doctor and the doctor said:**_

_**"Keep those monkeys away from the 47's bed."**_

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Ah, another chapter done. I think my ten chapter limit is going to be broken, lol. But a lot of information was revealed in this chappy, _ne_?

This one is a fairly short chapter compared to the last ones. I think it's because I'm getting lazy, lol. I hope I finish this story before I lose my interest in it.

Anyway, thanks to those who left kind reviews! Please do so again. They make me super happy! ^o^ _Jya ne_.

**Japanese Vocab:**

_Aryarya _ - just an expression; Sengoku uses it a lot

_Hontou ni arigatou gozaimasu_ - really thank you

_Muri_ – unreasonable; impossible

_Sorya naide _ - that's not how it is

_Nushi _– owner; proprietor

_Sore ja gekidasa daze_ – something like "that's super lame; that's way uncool"


	36. Paper Cranes

**XXXVI. Paper Cranes**

The sound of a doorbell resonated inside a Japanese-style house situated in a peaceful, residential area in Tokyo. A few seconds later, the door of the house opened only to reveal a beautiful and intelligent-looking face of a middle-aged woman.

"Sakuno-chan?" the woman exclaimed, a hint of surprise laced in her tone. "It's been a while since I last saw you. I heard about what happened at the café. Is everything okay?" Concern was written all over Tezuka Ayana's face as she inspected the younger woman standing in front of her.

Sakuno couldn't help but fidget. She felt the penetrating gaze of Tezuka's mother rake up and down her body. The brunette was actually grateful that the sports jacket Ryoma lent her concealed her injuries from the woman. If the older woman saw the numerous bandages decorating her body, well, she wasn't sure whether the kind mother of their _buchou_ would allow her to leave her house without fussing.

"_H-hai_. Thank you for asking," the brunette uttered politely, hoping their _buchou_'s mother didn't notice anything amiss in her appearance.

Ayana temporarily looked up from the girl and noticed a boy wearing a white cap standing a few steps behind Sakuno. His apathetic, yet sharp eyes stared at her neutrally.

"So you came here with Echizen-kun," Ayana said, the brightness in her eyes dimming as she stared back at Ryoma. It was as if she already knew why the teenagers had come to her house. "Kunimitsu hasn't come home since he told us he'd be reviewing for college entrance exams at a friend's house. But if there's anything I can do for you, then just say so."

"_Ano_…" Sakuno bowed her head as she thought of a way to say what she and Ryoma came to the Tezuka's residence for. "We have a few questions to ask you, if that's okay," the brunette finished, still staring at the ground. She wasn't able to look into Ayana's eyes without betraying her emotions.

For the mean time, Ryoma allowed Sakuno to do all the talking. He wasn't as familiar with the older woman as much as the brunette is, so he figured it would be wiser if he just kept quiet for now.

It took a few moments before Ayana responded again. The occupied look on her face told the teenagers that she had debated her answer for a while.

"Why don't you come in and have some tea? I'll try my best to help," Ayana said as she moved to the side so Sakuno and Ryoma can have enough space to go through the door. The brunette bowed respectfully and muttered an "_arigatou_" as she went into the house.

Ryoma waited for Sakuno to enter the house before he casted a covert look behind him. To his dismay, or perhaps relief, he saw nothing but an empty street. It was _disconcerting_. Ever since they left the cursed love motel where his _benevolent_ father dropped them at, he always had the feeling of being watched.

Hopefully, it was just the work of his overly paranoid imagination and nothing else. Because if not, then…

"Are you coming in, Echizen-kun?"

Ayana's question startled the prince out of his reverie. Looking back at the older woman, Ryoma mumbled "_uissu_," before he also entered the house.

* * *

"_Ne, _Chitose, since you're so good at predicting like a creepy fortune-teller and all, why don't you tell me how long it'll take them to figure out the riddle?" Kintarou asked loudly as he sat in Indian position on a chair in one of the rooms in Atobe's mansion. He was still mad at Shiraishi and his other teammates for knocking him out last night and _forgetting_ to wake him up earlier that morning to say goodbye to Sakuno and Ryoma. Didn't they know he had wanted to join the two in investigating?

The Shitenhouji regulars had arrived at the mansion a few hours earlier to join the rest of the tennis players in preparing for the tournament. When they entered the residence, they found Oshitari's group, who had left earlier with Atobe's agents to inspect the dome, already gathered in the meeting room. The players had been discussing how they had found nothing out of the ordinary at the dome. But instead of being placated by their lack of discovery, they were more bothered by it.

_Just what exactly is Tezuka planning?_

A few minutes after the arrival of the Shitenhouji players, Fuji's group had also returned to the mansion bearing the riddle that they discovered from visiting the gun maker's shop. They showed the piece of paper to the rest of the tennis players.

"0 minutes and 0 seconds," Chitose answered his _kouhai_ with a confident smile. He saw Kin-chan's huge, innocent eyes blink in confusion.

"_Heh_? That's not even a length of time!" the red head protested.

"Precisely. That's because they've already figured it out," Chitose patiently explained. "If you want me to be more exact, I'd say it only took Fuji and the others approximately 3 seconds after they read the riddle to figure out what the riddle was referring to."

"No way!" Kintarou exclaimed with disbelief clearly showing in his eyes. "They're _that_ good?"

They heard Shiraishi's good-natured chuckle coming from their right side. "It's not that hard to figure out, Kin-chan. _If _you know your Japanese history, that is."

The first year prodigy from Osaka just gave his captain a blank stare before childishly sticking out his tongue at him. History and anything else related to education weren't exactly his strongest points.

"Doesn't the number 47 mean anything to you?" Marui Bunta, who had heard the Shitenhouji players' conversation, gawked at Kintarou incredulously. He had heard that the freshman was not the smartest of the bunch, but he had at least expected the boy to know one of the most famous stories in their country's history.

Kintarou directed his stare upwards as he scrunched up his nose, trying to recall anything he knows that has to do with the number 47. When he came up with nothing, he just smiled brightly, not bothered in the least bit by his cluelessness. "Nope, doesn't ring a bell!"

"_The 47 Samurai_," Sanada supplemented in a condescending tone from the corner of the room. As someone who practices the code of _bushido_ and most likely a direct samurai descendant, he was displeased to know that someone can be as ignorant as to not know the story of the 47 samurai. "It's the story of forty seven samurai who bravely sacrificed their lives to defend the honor of their master."

"Really?" Kintarou leaned back on his chair, his arms crossed at the back of his head. "So the 47 in the riddle was referring to those 47 samurai's? But they're all dead. They couldn't have beds now. Or do their _futons_ still exist?" He gasped his last question out loud, thinking that he had also figured out the riddle.

"It's nothing but figurative speech. That's why it's a riddle," Fuji answered the red head this time. "Yes, they are obviously all dead now. What the word 'bed' indicated in that riddle meant their final resting place. More literally-"

"Their graves," Yukimura finished for the _tensai_. Most of the regulars in the room had pretty much arrived at the same conclusion.

"_Nya_, I guess that makes sense. But that doesn't explain the rest of the riddle!" Eiji pouted, frowning his brows in confusion. Like Kintarou, he also hasn't caught up with the others' deduction.

"The 47 Samurai's graves are located in a temple here in Tokyo," Oshitari muttered out loud.

Shishido crossed his arms as he leaned against a wall. "So, 'keep those monkeys away from the 47's bed' meant to stay away from the temple? So why would he mention the temple at all?"

"Because he is directing us to the area _around_ or _near _the temple and _not _at the temple itself," Yukimura asserted.

"And the four little monkeys? If I'm not mistaken, that nursery rhyme usually starts with ten little monkeys. Why did he deliberately change that part to four?" Oishi spoke to clarify the only part of the riddle he didn't get.

At this point, Inui and Fuji looked at each other. It was Fuji who spoke moments later. "Inui and I already have a hunch as to what the words 'four little monkeys' are referring to. But it can only be proven once we find whatever this first riddle is pointing us to."

"That's just crazy. How can we search for something we don't know?" Gakuto uttered, frustration clearly in his voice.

"Go by your instincts. As skilled tennis players with honed and heightened instincts, surely, you will be able to detect if something seems out of place in an area," Atobe said, a bit annoyed by Gakuto's whining.

Hearing the rich teenager's words, Momo energetically stood up from his seat and asked the large group in an impatient tone, "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go find this sucker!"

* * *

Sakuno and Ryoma were busy looking through pages of old photo albums that Ayana had brought out for them. Various photos of a kindergarten-aged Tezuka quickly flashed before their eyes. There were pictures of a little Tezuka wearing traditional Japanese clothing at New Year's Eve, of him reading beginning chapter books, of him fishing with his grandfather, and of course, of him playing tennis. Not surprisingly enough, Tezuka had only one expression in every single picture—his infamous, serious one. It appeared as if the captain has had that dry personality ever since he was a kid.

If Ryoma and Sakuno weren't on a serious mission at the moment, they would've found the opportunity to view their captain in his younger years much more amusing. In fact, Sakuno couldn't help but smile fondly as she stared a bit longer at some of the pictures. Even with that stoic face, Tezuka had been really cute as a kid. He looked like a little boy who was trying hard to act more mature than appropriate for his age.

But then, Sakuno felt a burning sensation in her chest as she remembered their real purpose in visiting her _nii-_san's house. They had wanted to learn more about Tezuka's relationship with the late Kenji Yamamoto and, hopefully, find some sort of evidence that can prove that their _buchou_ is innocent. So far, they had gleamed nothing important from the photographs.

Sakuno was about to flip through another page of the album when she saw something that caught her eyes. On a page containing a picture of a young Tezuka holding a tennis racket, a little piece of a colorful, folded paper was stuck on the right, upper corner of the said photograph.

Frowning, the brunette somewhat recognized the creases that were present on the paper.

'An _origami_?' she thought uncertainly.

Sakuno carefully peeled back the transparent cover of the page of the album, which held the photographs and the colorful paper in their places. She then inspected the object that caught her interest. The creases were still crisp so she had no problem folding the paper back to its original shape.

Holding it slightly away from her, she finally recognized that it was a paper crane. It had been folded with absolute precision that no unnecessary crumples were visible on the _origami _masterpiece. Indeed, the crane was perfectly folded except for two extra horizontal folds located in the middle of its wings.

"_Origami?" was the simple question that came out of his mouth before he can help it. His voice had come out as a monotone, as usual, but there was a hint of uncharacteristic curiosity in his question._

_Startled by the unexpected question, the girl glanced behind her and a bright smile took over her face. "Hai," she nodded before turning back to her work. He didn't see the sad expression that followed her short reply._

"_A classmate of mine fell ill and our class decided to fold 1000 paper cranes to wish her good health. Hopefully, she gets well soon."_

_Tezuka didn't say anything after that. Thinking that the buchou had gone back to reading his book, Sakuno also kept quiet and just focused on folding more paper. She was startled for the second time that night when she heard an almost inaudible rustle beside her. Looking towards her side, she found Tezuka with one of her square papers._

_She watched in astonishment as the buchou expertly folded the paper into a crane. He made the action seem as if he folded paper cranes every day. Of course, she shouldn't be surprised. Tezuka is naturally good at everything he does._

_Sensing the unspoken curiosity coming from the brunette, Tezuka sent her a questioning glance. Sakuno blushed upon being caught staring at him._

"_Ah, gomen. I just…well, I just never thought that Tezuka-buchou would be so good at folding paper cranes. Not that it's too hard for you or anything!" Sakuno shook her head animatedly. "But I just thought that you would never bother with such a trivial thing." _

_The Seigaku captain remained silent as he finished yet another crane. The brunette couldn't help but stare at his creations. There was something odd about his cranes no matter how perfectly they were folded. There were two extra creases on the cranes' wings, giving his cranes a unique style. Though that didn't make them look too different from normal crane origamis, it was still a pretty distinguishable trait._

"_It was a habit that I unconsciously adopted from a man I once called 'brother.'" His random explanation shook the girl from her reverie. "He liked to fold paper cranes in his spare time."_

_It took a few seconds for Sakuno to realize that he was referring to his paper folding skills. Thinking more about what he just said, she was kind of curious as to who this 'brother' figure is. It was pretty rare for Tezuka to talk about his personal life. In fact, it was probably the first time he mentioned something that went beyond everyday conversation to her._

"Did you find something?"

Ryoma's voice brought her back to present times. Her eyes were still somewhat dazed when she turned to look at the boy who was sitting beside her. His questioning eyes reminded her that she hasn't answered him.

"Oh, it's- it's nothing. I was just…remembering something," Sakuno replied distractedly as she unfolded the paper crane in her hands and returned it to the album. Ryoma looked like he was unsatisfied with her answer, but didn't question her any further. He simply settled to take the album that was sitting on her lap. The prince examined the item.

In contrast to Sakuno, what caught Ryoma's attention was the photograph that was below where the crane was—the one with a young Tezuka holding a racket and playing tennis at an uncemented tennis court. Behind him was what looked like a raised, wooden platform of either a dojo or a temple. The overall setting of the place told him that it was taken in a rural area surrounded by trees.

But wait a minute…it felt as if he'd seen that place before. Looking back at the other album he was previously examining, he found that he was right. There were more pictures of Tezuka playing tennis at that same place.

"I see that you've found the album you're looking for."

This time, both of them jolted at the unexpected sound of Ayana's voice. She had been in the kitchen preparing drinks for her visitors. The graceful woman walked around the low table Ryoma and Sakuno were sitting in front of and settled two cups of steaming, hot tea on the table for each of them.

When they did nothing but give her lost stares, she elaborated, "You asked me about Kenji-kun, right? Well, in that album," she sent a glance at one of the albums Ryoma was holding, "I believe there is a photograph of Kenji-kun playing tennis with Kunimitsu."

"M-maybe we haven't seen it yet," Sakuno answered for both of them. "We've only seen pictures of Kunimitsu-_nii_ so far."

"Is that so?" Ayana extended one of her flawless hands and reached for the album in Ryoma's hands. The prince gave it to her without protest.

"Let's see, I believe it's around here…" the older woman mumbled to herself as she flipped through the pages. "Aha, here it is."

She showed a page containing more tennis photographs of her son to them. In one of them, a high school boy with jet black hair and shining eyes was standing next to a kid with a serious expression. There were sweat-drenched towels around each of their necks and it appeared as if they had just finished playing a set. Behind them was, once again, the noticeable wooden structure of the dojo (or temple) Ryoma has seen in the other pictures.

"Kenji-kun used to live in an apartment complex beside our house. He was a cheerful boy and was very friendly to the kids," Ayana explained as she watched the teenagers look at the picture more closely. "Because he also played tennis, he quickly developed a connection with my anti-social Kunimitsu and they quickly got close. I was overjoyed, especially since Kunimitsu didn't normally socialize with anyone back then aside from a close cousin."

"Where was this picture taken?" Ryoma couldn't help but ask the woman. The familiar, wooden building present in most of the photographs in the albums has piqued his interest enough.

Ayana blinked, not expecting that question.

"It's taken at our ancestral home in Kyoto. My brother's family used to live there until, well, sickness took his life and then the rest of his family moved somewhere else. As it was vacant and spacious, we used to give permission to Kenji-kun and his friends to use it as a makeshift tennis camp. It was a perfect place to get away from the busy city life too, you know." At this, a nostalgic smile crossed Ayana's face. "Kunimitsu always seemed excited to go to that place with Kenji-kun. They acted as if it was their secret base or something when, of course, all they did there was play tennis."

Ryoma flipped through the next page of the album and saw that there were more photos taken at that place. In some of them, other people were also shown—kids and other teenagers who played tennis with Kenji and Tezuka. There was a group picture of all of them sitting in front of the wooden building that Ryoma kept seeing. In that particular one, the entire front structure of the building was shown and by then, Ryoma was sure that it was indeed a temple not much different from his own home.

"But excuse me for a second. I need to check on the cookies I am baking for you two. I shall be back shortly."

With those words, Ayana left Sakuno and Ryoma alone in the living room once again. The two were silent as each was engrossed in their own thoughts.

Looking down with a heavy feeling in her chest, Sakuno whispered her next words to Ryoma. "There is no doubt that Kunimitsu-_nii_ was very close to Yamamoto-san then."

Ryoma only sent her a brief, side glance before he returned his attention to the group shot he was previously looking at. There was something in that particular picture that was bothering him. He flipped back to look at the other pictures in the album then returned to the group picture again.

Finally making a decision in his head, he took out his cellphone from his shorts' pocket, quickly set it to camera mode, and took a picture of the photograph he was interested in.

Sakuno was surprised by the sudden flash in the living room and was about to inquire about it when Ayana came back carrying a plate of cookies for them.

The brunette never got the chance to ask her question.

* * *

"I feel like we're just wasting time."

Bunta ran his right hand through his red hair as he let out a tired sigh. The large group of tennis regulars had been searching the area around the temple where the 47 samurai were buried and hasn't found a single thing out of the ordinary so far. It was already past noon.

"Maybe we got the riddle wrong, after all?" the volley specialist asked his three teammates who were walking with him along a street full of merchandise stalls.

"It's possible, but unlikely. Especially since most of us arrived at the same conclusion," Jackal replied as he allowed his eyes to continually roam around the area, looking for anything out of the ordinary.

Yagyuu remained quiet as he also scanned the area for anything suspicious. The gentleman player of the group suddenly halted in his steps when he sensed that Niou wasn't walking beside him anymore. It didn't take long for him to find where his doubles partner disappeared to. The trickster was standing a few steps behind them, staring at a particular food stall under a _sakura_ tree on the temple grounds.

"Niou-kun?"

Bunta and Jackal also paused from walking when they heard Yagyuu call out to the trickster. Curiously, they watched as Yagyuu walked towards his partner.

"Is something wrong?" Yagyuu asked again before he turned his head to look at the food stall which caught his partner's attention. Looking closer at it, he saw the banner on top of the stand that labeled the place as a _mochi _food stall. There was no one manning the shop at that moment. A sign that said "on break" stood on top of its counter.

"We walked by this place when we started searching earlier. That sign has been there almost an hour and a half," Niou muttered to Yagyuu.

Without any warning, the trickster walked over to the stall and suddenly jumped over its counter to examine the inside of the shack. Yagyuu, who had always been a law-abiding citizen, was easily scandalized by his partner's actions.

"Niou-kun! I don't think that's a good idea-"

Before he can finish his sentence, he saw a red blur pass by him. Bunta had followed Niou into the shack.

Yagyuu glanced behind to seek for Jackal's help in restraining their two teammates, but the dark-skinned player simply sent him a useless shrug before he also walked by Yagyuu and jumped over the counter.

"Somehow, it always ends up like this," Yagyuu grumbled to no one in particular as he shook his head. Letting out a defeated sigh, the gentleman player of Rikkai had no other choice but to follow the rest of his teammates.

* * *

Empty boxes.

That's all the Rikkai regulars found in the suspicious-looking food shack.

The oddity of the situation heightened the players' awareness. For all they know, the shack could actually be the place the riddle was referring to!

"Have I ever told you how glad I am that you're on our side, Niou?" Bunta said with a shadow of a smile on his face as he bent down to examine one of the empty boxes. Around him, his companions mirrored his actions. "You really are one sharp cookie."

A playful smirk appeared on Niou's face. "What makes you so sure I'm on your side?"

The joke wasn't received lightly by the volley specialist.

"_Oi_, that's not funny! What if you're- What is it?" Bunta frowned as he saw the smirk on Niou's lips suddenly get wiped off when the trickster opened one of the boxes in front of him. The red head instinctively walked over to see what was up.

Alerted by Bunta's question, Yagyuu and Jackal also moved to stand behind Niou.

Looking inside the box, they all saw a black, rectangular object with an LED display located on the upper half of its top. Below the LED display was a see-through, glass compartment that contained some sort of paper inside. All around it were red and blue wires that went in and out of its surface.

The Rikkai regulars' eyes instantly widened in recognition.

It's a frigging bomb!

Backing a few steps away, Jackal glanced at his teammates in panic. "Let's get out of here before-"

"Relax. It's not activated," was the calm reply that he got from Niou.

They saw the trickster reach out his hand towards the bomb. "One of the essential wires that allow the bomb to operate was cut," he explained to the others as he pointed to a red wire near the LED display that was disconnected from the body, "What I'm more concerned about is this…"

Yagyuu raised an eyebrow as Niou opened the see-through compartment below the LED display and took out the paper that was inside. Unfolding the paper, the trickster saw a familiar writing printed on it.

_**Three little monkeys jumping on the bed,  
one jumped up and broke his head,  
mommy called the doctor and the doctor said:**_

"_**Make those monkeys visit the 47's head."**_

Below the riddle were extra lines that weren't included in the first riddle they've seen before.

_**Tick, tock.  
Time is running out.**_

* * *

"Ryoma-kun plans to visit the ancestral house that Ayana-san mentioned?" Sakuno asked in a tone that was softer than her usual one as she and Ryoma were walking away from the Tezuka's residence.

The prince was a few steps ahead of her. Glancing at his fisted hand, Sakuno saw that he was clutching the small piece of paper in which the prince had scribbled the address for the temple that he had asked Ayana for.

"_Aa_," was the monosyllabic answer that he gave her.

Sakuno frowned at that. The prince had pretty much kept to himself ever since the motel incident. Quite frankly, she was concerned. It was like he was reverting back to the way he acted towards her before all of this happened.

_He was back to his apathetic self._

That thought scared Sakuno more than she thought it should. She didn't want to suddenly lose the connection that she had made with Ryoma over the past few weeks. Especially not after he had just started opening up—even just a bit—to her.

_Insecurity. _

That's something that will always be present in relationships wherein there were no commitments or confirmations uttered. Unfortunately, with Ryoma, neither of them can ever be expected. She somehow knew that he was incapable of making them, not when he had already prioritized tennis—and nothing but tennis—in his life. She was just, perhaps, a temporary distraction.

_But even then…_

Before Sakuno could help it, she had jogged the few steps that separated them and had gently grabbed his arm. Surprised by the sudden contact, Ryoma froze in his steps and turned to look at her.

He found that she was gazing at him with genuine concern and slight fear in her large, brown eyes. Staring down at her up close like that, he momentarily forgot everything that clouded his mind for the past few hours. His mind just blanked out. And for the first time in his life, he found himself unable to think.

"_Daijobu_?" Sakuno asked him as she held his gaze with her expressive eyes.

It took a lot of effort for the prince to force himself to look away from her.

"_Aa_."

There's that monosyllabic answer again. But this time, she was able to detect the lie that was behind his placating word.

Why is he suddenly being so secretive? Weren't they supposed to work together? Isn't that why their Fuji-_senpai_ instructed him to investigate _with_ her?

The brunette couldn't help but be hurt by his new attitude.

"I know that there's a lot going on, and I'm not sure what exactly is bothering Ryoma-kun so much. But I just want to let you know that I'm also here."

Sakuno looked up at him to show him how earnest she was.

"I'm here, Ryoma-kun. We're in this together. So please don't-"

"You're thinking too much."

The concerned expression in Sakuno's eyes turned to one of confusion. But before she can say anything in reply, he continued.

"_Gomen_."

Brown eyes widened in shock at his last word. It was probably the first time she heard the prince verbally apologize to her. He had apologized before through simple actions—such as offering Ponta or offering to teach her tennis. But this time, he actually said it.

"I didn't mean to worry you," Ryoma finished, his tone softer than usual.

His words had the instant effect of melting away all of her anxieties. Coming from the prince, the simple apology had been really sweet and touching. The frown on her face disappeared and a warm smile soon replaced her worried expression.

_Yes, she had been thinking too much._

Sakuno shook her head and directed a small smile at him. "_Iie_, there is no need to apologize. Ryoma-kun was right. I was probably just worrying too much."

"What else is new?"

There was an innocent blink. "_Mou_, is that supposed to be an insult?"

The brunette pouted adorably at him. She saw him stare back at her with an inscrutable look in his eyes. He boldly stared for a quite a few seconds, which made her suddenly start to feel self-conscious. Did she have dirt on her face?

Just when she was about to ask him if something was wrong, she saw a blur of something white flash across her eyes that made her instinctively shut her eyes.

Sakuno soon felt something touch her head and her eyes opened again in curiosity. When her hand reached up to touch her head, she felt the tip of something that she belatedly recognized as the tip of a hat.

Looking back at Ryoma, she found that he wasn't wearing his famous white cap anymore. His bangs were slightly ruffled in a messy manner, though the prince still managed to make the disheveled appearance of his bangs look sexy. It was unfair. He naturally looked good without any help whatsoever.

Before she can even open her mouth, he started to mumble "an excuse" for his actions.

"With hair as long as that, people are bound to recognize you from a mile away." He turned away from her to prevent her from reading any other emotion in his eyes. "It's better to hide that ridiculous, long hair under a hat for now."

_Yes, completely ridiculous but enticing_—something that he would never _ever_ admit to her out loud even if he was on his death bed.

He had always made fun of how long her hair is. Though deep down—deep down inside him, past all the surface pride (which Ryoma had a lot of)—he secretly adored her long hair.

"_S-sou ne_," was her discomposed reply as she felt her face getting warmer. Quickly, she followed his advice and tucked her braids under Ryoma's white cap.

"Is this good?" she innocently asked him.

He looked back at her, and this time, managed to conceal what he really thought behind an indifferent expression. Even with the absence of her cute braids, her bangs still fanned around her heart-shaped face, framing it in an angelic way.

"Not bad."

_It's perfect._

He received a wide smile in return for his two words. She knew what he truly meant, though he was unable to literally vocalize it.

"_Arigatou_," she softly uttered.

Before he can allow her to distract him any further, he extended a hand towards her. They had other business to take care of.

"_Ikou_."

Sakuno blinked, not really expecting him to offer his hand to her. But of course, she didn't complain. How silly of her to think that they were reverting back to how they were before.

_After all they've been through together, nothing could seriously come in between them now, right?_

She was about to reach for his hand when a ring interrupted their simple moment.

Ryoma hesitantly retracted his outstretched hand in order to grab his ringing cellphone from his shorts' pocket. He took one look at the caller ID. It was from an unknown number. Nevertheless, he took the call.

Sakuno watched curiously as Ryoma listened to the person on the other line. She heard murmurs of a voice belonging to a man, but heard nothing comprehensible from where she was standing at.

It didn't take long before Ryoma turned back to face her. He silently offered his cellphone to her and she couldn't help but notice the slight change in his eyes. It seemed as if…

"It's for you," Ryoma said in an aloof—somewhat cold—voice.

Sakuno was surprised by how much his tone of voice had changed in merely seconds. With a shaking hand, she hesitantly took the phone from the prince.

She watched as Ryoma turned his back on her as soon as she took the cellphone from him. Now, she was seriously dreading what the phone call is about.

"_M-moshi moshi_?"

"Is this Ryuzaki-san?" the voice from the other end of the line asked.

"_H-hai_," the brunette replied uncertainly.

"It's Yanagi. I'm sorry to disturb you at this crucial time but I have urgent news to deliver."

Sakuno unconsciously held her breath to hear what the data man from Rikkai Dai was going to announce.

"Akaya had woken up and he's _desperately_ asking for you."

* * *

**Special Notes:**

*The story of the 47 samurai (better known as the "47 ronin") was taken from real-life Japanese history. And yes, they were really buried at a temple in Tokyo.  
*Tezuka, Ayana is not an OC. She is the canonical mother of Tezuka, Kunimitsu.  
*For those who are unfamiliar with the story of the 1000 cranes, in Japan, there is a belief that if 1000 paper cranes were folded, a crane would grant a wish such as long life or recovery from injury.

**Author's Notes:**

Well, after focusing on the mystery part of the story for a few chapters, I thought I would give the romance part of the story some focus for now. I didn't develop those relationships for nothing! Lol!

Also, looking back at my chapters, it seemed as if I enjoy torturing Ryoma. Don't get me wrong, I love the brat to death but what is RyoSaku without slight angst, right? Hahah.

Anyway, we'll see what happens to them in the next chapter. It will be a short chapter :D

**Japanese Vocab:**

_Uissu_ – a slang word Ryoma uses quite often, it's sort of like "okay" or "Roger" but that's a super rough translation

_Aa_ – yeah; yes

_Daijobu _– are you alright? Is everything okay?

_Gomen_ - sorry; I apologize

_Sou ne_ – That's right, isn't it?

_Ikou_ – let's go


	37. Sacrifices

**XXXVII. Sacrifices**

'I want to see him. I _can't_ _wait_ to see him.'

That's the only thought that kept repeating in her mind as she breathlessly ran the remaining distance that separated her from his hospital room. The take-out meal that she was carrying in her right hand precariously swung left and right, next to her fast-moving legs.

She brought yakiniku with her—Kirihara's _favorite_.

Actually, Ryoma had ended up paying for the take-out meal since she didn't have any money with her. The prince didn't complain but he didn't seem too happy with the idea either. It's not that he was stingy with money. She suspected that it had to do with something else that he didn't want to mention to her.

'Just one more corridor!'

She turned the corner of a hallway and was greeted by the sight of Sanada and a nurse at its far end. They were standing in front of Akaya's room and appeared to be talking about something serious. Sakuno paused when she was about two feet away from them. Only then did she begin to hear the loud bangs and muffled shouts that were coming from inside the room.

The Rikkai _fukubuchou_ glanced up at Sakuno. He said a word to the nurse and then dismissed her. With a polite bow, the nurse walked away to give the two some privacy.

"_Ano_…is everything okay?" was Sakuno's unsure question to Sanada as she sent a worried glance at the closed door that was barring her from the junior ace. She heard more curious noises coming from inside the room.

Sanada didn't get a chance to answer the brunette's question right away because at that moment, Ryoma also appeared from the same corner Sakuno just came from. Unlike the brunette, however, he didn't seem to be out of breath and actually took the leisure to walk the remaining steps towards Sakuno and Sanada. The _fukubuchou_ acknowledged Ryoma's presence with a single nod before he turned to answer the brunette's question.

"Akaya's being his stubborn self again. He keeps demanding to be released when his current, weak condition requires him to stay in bed for a few more days of recovery. He's currently throwing a fuss over the fact that we won't let him go and see you."

Sakuno heard the _fukubuchou_ let out a tired sigh before he continued.

"The nurses could've tranquilized him, but seeing as he just miraculously woke up from what they thought would be a lifetime coma, they didn't want to risk the chance of putting him back to a state of extended sleep. It was difficult since he won't listen to anything we say. We finally decided that, perhaps, you're the person who might be able to calm him down and talk some sense into him."

Sanada looked away from the girl and also sent a glance at Kirihara's closed door. "I have to return to Atobe's mansion now since we have other urgent businesses to attend to. Renji is inside the room if you need any help. But otherwise, I'll leave the rest to you."

It was amazing how Sanada was easily able to entrust his _kouhai_'s well-being to this fragile-looking girl in front of him. He was surprised with that fact himself. But, of course, after all the sacrifices she made on that night she saved Akaya, he didn't need any further proof.

With this girl, his _kouhai _is definitely in good hands.

The _fukubuchou_ cleared his throat before he suddenly turned his attention to Ryoma. "By the way, Fuji wanted you to call him as soon as you have free time. He wanted to discuss the progress of your investigation."

Ryoma stared back at him with his apathetic eyes before he sent Sanada a nod.

Satisfied with the simple reply, the _fukubuchou_ looked back at Sakuno in order to bid her goodbye. He found that the girl was somewhat fidgeting in impatience. She must really want to see Kirihara too.

"_Ano_…" she started timidly. "May I see Akaya-kun now?"

Sanada's face remained stoic, though he had to fight the urge to smirk in amusement. Luckily, he had a lot of self-control.

"Please do," the _fukubuchou_ finally said as he watched the girl hurriedly open the door to the junior ace's room.

* * *

"Damn it!"

_Clink. Clink._

"Damn it…!"

_Clink. Clink. Clink._

"I'll break everything in this room if you don't release me, Yanagi-_senpai_!" Akaya shouted as he forcefully tried to escape from a handcuff that linked his right arm to the bed rail. As he had absolutely refused to continue wearing the ridiculous patient gown that the hospital mandated, he now wore a simple white shirt and grey pajamas in its place instead. Bandages still adorned his forehead and his arms—evidences of the hellish experience the boy had just gone through. On his lower left cheek was also a square-like bandage. He looked like he had relived his injuries back in the Nationals tournament three years earlier.

Sanada and Yanagi resorted to handcuffing him to the bed because the junior ace had tried to escape his room every chance he got. Once, he even tried to jump down his window.

"I'm a patient, not a prisoner!"

Yanagi calmly sipped his tea. He sat on a chair in the corner of the room. On his lap was a notebook, in which he was writing data from recent events. The rattle of metal hitting metal continued to fill the room as Kirihara desperately tried to pry the handcuff off of him. The data man sent a glance at the struggling boy.

"We talked about this 27 times, Akaya. You didn't listen to a single word we said in those 27 conversations."

Kirihara growled and sent his _senpai_ a glare. "And how many times do I have to tell you guys that I'm perfectly fine? I just need to go and see Sa-chan, damn it! Can't you understand that?" He struggled again, starting to bruise his skin from the metal cuffs. When he had no luck, he resorted to punching the wall in frustration.

"Damn it…Damn it…Damn it!"

"Stop that, Akaya."

Kirihara didn't listen and continued his assault. The loud bangs of his fist hitting the wall sent a sickening feeling to Yanagi's stomach.

"Akaya."

Little dents and cracks started appearing on the wall as Kirihara mercilessly attacked it.

"Akaya!"

"Then let me see Sa-chan!" the junior ace roared back.

Yanagi didn't reply.

"I frigging want to see-"

The sudden sound of a door opening interrupted Kirihara. It seemed as if time froze inside the room as he slowly glanced towards the door.

Furious emerald eyes met anxious brown ones.

And almost instantly, his eyes softened at the sight of the girl.

"Sa- Sa-chan…"

The sound of his voice triggered a tightening inside Sakuno's chest that she couldn't really explain. Her body responded to the clench by instinctively rushing towards the boy, opening her arms in the process, in order to envelop him in a warm hug. Her arms landed around his waist with her face pressed against his chest. She clung to him as if her life depended on it.

"You woke up…" Sakuno softly mumbled to his chest. She tightened her hug on him, afraid that he would suddenly disappear if she released him. "…Thank God, you woke up."

Up until then… up until then, the brunette hasn't realized how much she had missed the junior ace. His goofy smiles, his comforting laughs, his silly stories, his warm personality…she had missed everything about him.

She tried so hard not to let her thoughts wander over to his condition since she had been frightened out of her wits that he wouldn't wake up from his comatose state. She had been frightened by the thought of losing him forever.

Kirihara stood stupefied and simply allowed the girl to hug him. It was as if the boy couldn't believe that Sakuno was actually in front of him and hugging him with such intensity. She had never showered her affections on him like that. Sure, she had always showed him kindness, but not like she was showing him right now. She was holding onto him as if he was the most important person in the world to her.

Against his own will, hope suddenly soared within his chest.

_Is it possible that she also…? It couldn't be, right? There's no way._

His eyes fluttered close as his body relaxed against her warm hug. Using his other hand that wasn't bound to the bed rail, he began to return her embrace in a gentle one-armed hug. He pulled her closer to him.

'_Screw it,'_ he finally thought as he allowed himself to enjoy the warmth of her body pressed against his.

'_Screw everything._'

Yes, forget everything. Because right now…

_Right now, the thing he wanted the most…_

"_Ne_, Sa-chan…" he randomly blurted out, earning a muffled "hmmm?" from the brunette.

A few seconds passed before he continued. Sakuno waited patiently. Though _nothing_ in their current situation could've prepared her for what he was about to say next.

"…"

"…"

"Did you lose weight?"

Kirihara heard a stifled sound from his chest, which sounded like a muffled laugh, and he knew that he got what he wanted.

When the girl in his arms pulled her head back and finally gave him the honor to see her face, a grateful teary smile greeted his emerald eyes.

_Yes, the thing that he wanted the most was to see her smile_.

"_Mou_, Akaya-kun," she muttered, trying hard to sound frustrated but failing horribly at it.

Kirihara hasn't changed a bit. Not at all. But she didn't want him any other way. The brunette bit her lower lip before she rested her face on his chest, hugging him once again.

"I missed you."

Her words sounded so genuine—so sincere that Kirihara instantly knew that she truly meant them. For the first time since he woke up in that darn hospital, a real smile graced his lips.

Enjoying the feeling of the girl in his arms, he momentarily forgot about everything around him. Indeed, he had forgotten the outside world that he wasn't prepared for what he saw when he looked over the girl's shoulder and his eyes focused on the door.

Emerald eyes immediately clashed against smoldering, dark yellow ones.

The junior ace didn't know how long Ryoma had been standing there and observing them, but based on the prince's semi-hostile glare, Kirihara knew that he had seen enough. The look Ryoma sent him made the junior ace suddenly feel like he had been caught trespassing some sort of private property.

And he didn't like that, he didn't like that one bit.

Whoever said she was **his **to begin with? **He** had so many chances with her, and **he** blew it every single time. If it was him, he would never hurt Sa-chan like that, he would never make her cry like that…

Then as if to challenge the silent threat that the prince sent him, Kirihara uttered his next words slowly and loud enough for Ryoma to hear.

"I missed you _too_, Sa-chan."

The junior ace felt satisfied when he saw an almost invisible shift in Ryoma's eyes. He didn't fight the urge to smirk, which infuriated the prince even more.

Yanagi, who had noticed the charged atmosphere between the two, decided to break it off before they actually start to literally pummel each other. He loudly cleared his throat, the sound effectively distracting the two from their staring competition.

The data man stood up from his seat and paused. He realized that his next words might come off as a bit unfair to one of the boys. But what the heck? It's only natural for him to be biased. After all, Kirihara is _his_ _kouhai_.

"Perhaps, it'll be wise to give you two a moment of privacy," Yanagi proclaimed, sending a meaningful look at Ryoma. He was silently asking the prince to leave the room with him so Kirihara and Sakuno can have some time alone.

For a second, Ryoma looked like was about to protest. But when he remembered how Sakuno had rushed into Kirihara's arms just moments ago, when he remembered how she had easily smiled and laughed _for him_…he couldn't find it in himself to say anything.

The prince then left the room.

Yanagi followed him immediately.

* * *

A seemingly innocent bomb sat in the middle of the table as the regulars crowded around it and looked at it like it was some sort of a laboratory specimen. It had been an hour since Niou's group had called the others to inform them that they had found what the riddle was referring to. They had brought back the bomb with them, along with the second riddle.

"He's playing us. He's clearly playing us like some sort of fools," Shishido exclaimed bitterly, not taking his eyes off the bomb.

When no one replied to his comment, he glanced around at the other players incredulously. "What? Don't tell me we're going to continue playing riddles with him! That's stupid!"

"Then what do you propose we do about the hostages he's blackmailing us with?" was the calm challenge that came from Oshitari.

"How do you even know solving these riddles can help us save them?" Shishido's voice thundered. He was obviously losing his patience again.

"We don't," Atobe answered in his authoritative voice. "But it's the only lead we have."

Shishido wasn't able to say anything that can refute that. None of them was able to.

"Be it as it may," Oishi spoke moments later, "What are we going to do if the bomb turns out to be activated next time? It's too dangerous." He sent a concerned glance around the room. The grim expressions on the others' faces told him that they had already considered that. They had all realized the gravity of the situation a long time ago.

"Sometimes, sacrifices are necessary to gain an advantage," Yukimura wisely uttered in his soft voice. His eyes held a grim resolution, as if he was prepared to face whatever lies ahead. As noble as his words sounded, they still produced an uncomfortable effect on the regulars' stomachs.

_Sacrifices_…

They didn't like the sound of that word.

* * *

"_Ano, gomen _if I wasn't here when you woke up. I really wanted to be, Akaya-kun, but…some things came up that kept me away for a while," Sakuno explained with regret in her voice. She was setting up the take-out meal on top of the table beside Kirihara's bed while the junior ace sat on the bed watching her. The poor _yakiniku_ meal had been sloshed around and had messily mixed with the rice from all the movement it was put through when she was running towards the hospital.

She didn't hear a reply from the junior ace right away. As that was uncharacteristic of the usually talkative boy, she immediately turned to check on Kirihara, and noticed that he was staring at her clothes with suspicion in his eyes.

Realizing that he might ask about her outfit, Sakuno suddenly felt panicked. She didn't really feel like telling him the whole story at the moment since that would bring up a lot of awkward conversations. The brunette let out an inaudible sigh of relief when he snapped out of his dazed state and mentioned something else.

"You've really lost a lot of weight," he muttered again. Sakuno didn't know whether he recognized that she's wearing Ryoma's clothes or not. But even if Kirihara did, he chose not to bring it up.

"Is _he_ feeding you?" the junior ace asked, looking away from her. A look of annoyance was suddenly on his face.

So perhaps he did recognize Ryoma's clothes. How could she even think that he wouldn't? She was wearing Ryoma's trademark hat, for pete's sake.

"_Mou_," she mumbled, choosing not to directly answer his question. "Do I look that terrible to you?" Sakuno frowned and the expression on her face made her look like a lost puppy.

Her tone alone already made Kirihara feel like he had just lashed out at that innocent puppy.

"Sa-chan, you know that it's not that! It's just…" His emerald eyes shook, showing her a mixture of intense emotions. The junior ace was never scared to express his emotions to her and Sakuno found that she liked that. Ryoma would never allow her to read him easily like Kirihara's allowing her to do at that moment.

"I wish I can take care of you too."

His words shook the girl a bit.

She stared at him, feeling the warmth of his words slowly spread in her chest.

"But as you can see," Kirihara continued as he tried to tug his right arm away from his handcuff. The metal links only tugged his hand right back towards the bed railing with a _clunk_. "I'm useless again."

"That's not true!" Sakuno frowned and approached him, stopping when she was directly in front of him on the bed. "Akaya-kun, you've _always_ helped me. You've always been there for me when I needed help and I don't think you realize just how thankful I am to you for that. It's because of you that I-"

"You're leaving soon."

It was a statement, not a question. Her sudden silence and guilty expression answered his question for him.

"With that Echizen Ryoma?"

There was bitterness in his tone.

"We have to go to Kyoto to investigate more. Because right now, Kunimitsu-_nii_ is…and I…everything's just really messy. So I'm sorry. I'm _really_ sorry," she whispered to him.

Kirihara saw her angelic face crumple in agony and mentally cursed himself for even bringing up the topic. Though he doesn't remember most of the details about his captivity and what happened after that, his Sanada-_fukubuchou_ and Yanagi-_senpai _had filled him in on what has happened. That was why he had wanted to desperately see her. He had wanted to see for himself that she was okay.

And now, he was screwing everything because of his selfishness.

"It's not your fault," the junior ace quickly amended. "Look, Sa-chan. I didn't mean anything. I was being a jerk." He looked into her anxious brown eyes, his own emerald ones softening in guilt. "I'm sorry, okay? I'll do anything to make you feel better. Heck, I'll even eat this slushie _yakiniku_ meal you brought me to make it up to you!"

Sakuno blinked at his last words. "Slushie?"

Kirihara's boyish face broke into a grin. "It sure looks that way right now. Did you blend this before you came here?" he asked as he used his free hand to grab the chopsticks on the table and poke the contents of the take-out meal.

"_Gomen_, it spilled all over since I was in a hurry," Sakuno admitted in embarrassment.

"Nah, it's okay." Kirihara set down the chopsticks and focused his attention on her. "If it's from Sa-chan, then I'll _gladly_ eat it." He smiled at her.

There was something about his gaze at that moment that made her suddenly nervous and she quickly averted her face somewhere else.

"But, there's a condition," Kirihara added.

She looked back just in time to see the mischievous grin get plastered on his face as his green eyes sparkled.

"Sa-chan will have to feed me."

* * *

"As expected from you, Echizen. You really have sharp eyes," Fuji complimented over the phone.

Ryoma was standing alone at the corridor right outside of Kirihara's room. Yanagi had muttered some excuse to go to the cafeteria some time ago, so he was able to find the perfect time to call the _tensai _and report their most recent discoveries. The prince found it comforting that his Fuji-_senpai_ had agreed with him that it was worthwhile to check out the ancestral home of the Tezukas in Kyoto. However, the prince felt that it was pretty much useless. They already have Tezuka's motive for committing the murders.

"What good would it do though? We might just find more evidence of Tezuka-_buchou_'s closeness to Kenji Yamamoto. And we've seen enough of that."

The prince leaned against the wall, trying his best not think about what's going on inside the room where Sakuno and Kirihara were at-_alone_. It was becoming difficult for him to concentrate on his conversation with Fuji.

"Tell me, Echizen. Don't you find something odd?" Fuji prompted, his tone wondering.

"Odd about what?"

"Not a single one among the Seigaku regulars had been hurt or attacked so far."

That thought made Ryoma stiffen in alert. It was true. At least one player from the other teams had been assaulted by the murderer, yet not a single one among them had been attacked.

"Ryuzaki-chan was attacked because it was necessary. But what I find really interesting is that no matter how involved you got into her affairs, he hasn't made a move to attack you. Surely, he would've considered the possibility that whatever it was Ryuzaki-chan knows might also be common knowledge to you."

But doesn't that make it more believable that it was indeed Tezuka who had been committing the murders? After all, he _is_ attached to his own team and that would explain his reluctance to attack any of them.

Before Ryoma could reply, Fuji continued, "If the ultimate motive behind all the killings is really revenge for what happened to Kenji Yamamoto fourteen years earlier, why is he taking out his frustration on our teams? The attacks on our generation seem too personal to be considered as general hatred for the tennis community."

Ryoma's eyes unconsciously narrowed at that logic. He understood what his _senpai _was getting at.

"There _is _another side to this story that we haven't discovered yet. And that is what I want you to try to find," Fuji finalized.

Silence temporarily stretched between the two as Ryoma allowed the _tensai_'s words to sink in.

"We'll go to Kyoto then," Ryoma proclaimed after a while.

"That's more like you, Echizen," Fuji commented, obviously pleased with the prince's decision.

"However, be very careful. Even though it appears that he would be reluctant to attack you, he wouldn't hesitate a second to attack someone who is close to you. And based on his past actions, he's really good on zeroing in on the person who is most important to you. You can't afford to be distracted—not even for a second."

Ryoma felt himself stiffen again, his thoughts automatically going to a certain braided girl. Almost simultaneously, he felt a sharp pang in his chest as he tried not to think of what can happen.

"In fact, Yuuta was taken right after I visited Tezuka's house to investigate."

Fuji ended his warning at that.

* * *

"Y'know, while we're at it, you should eat with me too."

Kirihara suggested as he scooted over to give Sakuno some space to sit right next to him on the bed.

Of course, Sakuno was putty in his hands when he had complained about not having the ability to eat properly at the moment since his dominant hand was handcuffed to the bed railing. She had immediately agreed to feed him just so he can eat the meal she brought for him.

It had been a lie though. _A crafty lie_.

Kirihara was perfectly able to eat using his left hand. He just wanted Sakuno to feed him. He thought it would be cute.

Sakuno obeyed his request and sat right next to him. She was about to grab the meal and the chopsticks in order to start her task when she remembered something.

Ryoma hasn't eaten a single thing since that morning too!

Intending to leave the room and ask Ryoma to join them, she stood so quickly that she didn't pay attention to her footing. She was surprised when she suddenly felt a sense of falling as her foot had accidentally stepped on the bed linen that was lying on the floor, and she had slipped.

Fortunately, the junior ace's reflex instantly kicked into action and he was able to wrap his free arm around the brunette's waist in an attempt to catch her. He also ended up pulling her towards him, however, in his effort to prevent her from falling on the floor.

As an end result, she ended up on his lap, with both hands resting on his chest, and her face merely a few inches away from his own. She was able to feel his cool breath fanning her cheeks as he worriedly stared down at her.

Her brown eyes soon locked with his, and Sakuno felt an unexplainable electric shock course through her body. She found herself unable to move for a while.

Before she had the chance to think over what just happened, the door in the room suddenly opened and both heads immediately turned to see who had come in.

Sakuno instantly felt her heart drop.

Because right there, standing on the doorway, was Ryoma.

His face remained blank, devoid of all emotions, as he stood there and took in their current positions. Then his eyes—ever so slowly—shifted over to Sakuno.

The moment their eyes met, Sakuno wanted to cry.

Not because he stared at her with anger. No. He didn't even look at her with any hint of pain in his eyes unlike the previous times he had witnessed her involved with the junior ace.

He just stared at her coldly—such a blank, cold look that he made her feel like she was a complete stranger to him.

And before she got the chance to say anything that could clear up the situation, Ryoma had turned away and exited the room.

* * *

"Ryoma-kun! Please wait-"

Sakuno quickly disentangled herself from Kirihara and rushed across the room to go after the prince. The junior ace couldn't do anything but stare at the door as it loudly shut close after the brunette.

He had wanted to stop her, but couldn't.

Actually, even if he had, there was a slim chance that she would've complied with his request anyway. She would've still ran after the prince.

Now alone, he couldn't stop the painful clenching feeling in his chest. He tried his best to ignore it as he cheerlessly glanced at the forgotten and cold _yakiniku_ meal on top of his bedside table.

_She would always choose him_.

His left fist suddenly clenched, grasping the bed sheet so tightly that his knuckles had turned white.

Honestly, he thought he would've gotten used to the pain by now.

Because, really…

Who was he kidding?

No matter what he does.

No matter how _hard _he tries.

No matter how _much_ he cares.

Nothing's going to change.

_She had always been and forever will be…**his****.**_

* * *

"Ryoma-kun!" she yelled, desperately running after him. He was far ahead in an abandoned corridor somewhere in the second floor. Actually, she was lucky she even spotted him. The prince had moved so quickly that she was surprised to see him just calmly walking ahead of her.

She thought he had sprinted away from Kirihara's room since he had gotten so far.

"Ryoma-kun, please wait!"

Her dainty hand reached for his arm when she finally caught up with him.

Ryoma halted in his steps, but he didn't turn his head to look at her.

"Ryoma-kun, it's not like what you think! I just fell and-"

"I don't care."

His words effectively stopped more words from coming out of her mouth. She stood paralyzed beside him, helpless when he shrugged his arm away from her touch.

Silence threatened to envelop them and Sakuno knew she had to do something—anything to make things right between them.

"Is- Is Ryoma-kun mad?" she asked, her voice shaking slightly.

There was a pause then a cold "no."

"Then please look at me," Sakuno pleaded.

He didn't reply nor did he grant her request.

"Ryoma-kun, please-"

"I _don't_ have time for this," he uttered in a hard tone.

Sakuno tried to take his words in, trying not to be hurt too much by them. It was useless though.

_She had always worn her heart on her sleeves, unable to conceal her emotions_.

So when tears threatened to fall from her eyes, she immediately tried to wipe them away.

It was fair enough. Ryoma has a point. They don't have time to talk about their relationship when there are much more important things to deal with.

"Then please let me just say goodbye to Akaya-kun, so we can go-"

The mere mention of the junior ace's name made his blood boil and he almost lost control when he uttered his next words.

"You'll stay."

He heard her almost inaudible gasp and he felt her stare at him, trying to read his emotions. But it was futile.

_He had always been good at concealing and controlling his emotions_.

That was until she came into the equation. And suddenly, he felt himself loosening up little by little. He didn't even realize it.

It _had_ to _stop_.

"But you said Fuji-_senpai_ adviced you to-"

"I lied."

_Yes_, _he can be such a good liar if he wanted to be. Like right at this moment_.

"Ryoma-kun, I want to help-"

"You'll only get in the way."

Her breath hitched in her throat at that last one. If he turned to look at her now, he can see how much he was hurting her—how much pain he's causing her right at that moment.

"T-then please allow someone else to accompany you. You can't go there alone, it's too dangerous."

"I will." _Another lie_.

Then a brief pause.

"You said you trusted me." Her words were so soft by then, almost like a whisper.

Trust, huh?

How _dare_ she talks about trust when just a while ago…

His yellow eyes hardened against his will and he spoke his next words unfeelingly.

"I lied."

_Again_.

"It was _necessary_ because you had important evidence. I _had_ to make you trust me." He swallowed and allowed his next words to come out of his mouth easily. "You're useless to me now."

Ryoma heard the rustle of fabric and knew that she was desperately wiping her tears now—trying hard to silence her sobs so he wouldn't hear them. But he did.

She frowned through her tears, and then looked up at him. Honestly, she didn't have a clue as to why he's acting like that all of a sudden. But she knew it had to do with what he saw earlier. So she tried to appeal again.

"Ryoma-kun, you should know by now how I feel."

The prince remained silent this time. He still didn't turn to look at her, however.

"I love you more than anything-"

"Really?" he cut her off. He had to. He didn't want to hear it.

"Is it me you like or my ability to play tennis?" he suddenly asked, turning to look at her with impassive eyes. "Because frankly, it seems like as long as it's a tennis player, you don't care who you-"

A loud hitting smack interrupted his sentence and for a split second, a shocked look crossed his face.

She had slapped him.

"I-I can't believe you can say something like that," she whispered, feeling her heart shatter along with her words. Tears freely cascaded down her face. She didn't make an attempt to wipe them anymore.

After everything, after everything she's done to prove how much she cares about him—how much she _loves_ him, he can still stand there and ridicule her feelings.

There was another silence.

The only sounds interrupting were her quiet sobs.

Ryoma stood in front of her, numbly staring at the ground, and feeling like a complete idiot. He wanted to take back his words. He didn't mean any of them. But of course, he didn't do or say anything to correct the situation.

He also knew that if he stayed any longer, they would only hurt each other even more.

So he chose to go.

_It's better that way._

He took a few steps forward but paused before he completely passed her. They were standing shoulder-to-shoulder, facing opposite directions.

He didn't look at her.

She didn't look at him.

Before he left, he whispered something to her—words that hurt them both in different ways.

"It seems like the only thing I ever do is make you cry."

And then she felt his presence start to disappear as he walked away—walked away from her life.

_She got rejected again_.

_One would think that she would've learned her lesson by now_.

_But no...she loved him way too much to let go._

Slowly, she slumped to the floor, helplessly crying her eyes out in a vain attempt to ease the unbelievable pain she was feeling at the moment.

_She has to learn to let him go_.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

And I thought this was going to be a happy chapter. But I was so wrong. Lol.

Well, the theme song of this chapter would be Ai Otsuka's "Planetarium," if you will. I had to have those three confront all of their unsorted feelings before the story ends. So I'm sorry for the lack of the mystery development in this chapter.

Yukimura foreshadowed a bit of what was going to happen in the near future though. So that was some sort of accomplishment, right? Okay, maybe not xD

Ryoma's feelings are so complicated that I found his side the hardest to write.

But I'm a bit curious and want to ask you guys. Who are you rooting for at this point in the story? Ryoma or Akaya?

Thank you so much to those people who are always kind enough to leave me reviews. I swear, I wouldn't have been able to get this far in the story if not for your encouragements. I really appreciate them. So thank you so much!

**Japanese Vocab:**

_Gomen_ – I'm sorry; I apologize


	38. The Tensai and the Artist

**XXXVIII. The **_**Tensai**_** and the Artist**

Yanagi was surprised when he reentered Kirihara's room and found no one else but the junior ace in there. The younger boy was sitting eerily quiet on his bed with his feet lifelessly hanging over its edge. He was facing away from Yanagi, staring at nothing in particular outside his window. His right arm was still chained to the bed rail but it seemed as if he didn't care about that fact anymore.

Kirihara didn't even look at the data man when he came in. That was Yanagi's last clue that something had happened in the room while he was gone. And judging from Kirihara's sudden melancholy and subdued attitude, it most likely had something to do with a certain twin-braided brunette who had just visited the room a couple of minutes ago.

Soundlessly, the data man walked over to the sofa in the corner of the room and placed the tennis bag that he was now carrying on top of it. He then turned to face Kirihara and attempted to start a conversation.

"You're no longer aggressive. The walls of this room must be grateful."

The second year ace ignored him.

One, two…three minutes passed and the junior ace was still quiet. When Yanagi finally decided that Kirihara doesn't intend to give him any reply, he tried a different tactic.

"You should understand why we're doing this, Akaya. It's for your own good."

The younger boy's head suddenly snapped towards Yanagi. Something in his words had ticked the junior ace.

"Hasn't it always been like that, _senpai_?" Kirihara uttered with frustration in his tone. His emerald eyes were slanted in anger. "Ever since I entered the tennis team, _senpai-tachi_ have always protected me, acting like I'm some sort of brat who you guys must always put on a leash to make sure I don't get in trouble!"

The data man saw the junior ace make a hard fist with his left hand.

"_Wakatteiru yo_! I do get in trouble a lot because I make some mistakes—okay, maybe _tons _of mistakes," he added the last bit when he saw Yanagi raise an eyebrow, "—but that's how I learn, _senpai_!" Kirihara appealed to him in desperation.

"How do _senpai-tachi_ expect me to grow up if you're always there to protect me? How do you expect me to make mature decisions if you're always there telling me what I can and cannot do? It's just…frustrating!" the junior ace exclaimed before he turned his head away from Yanagi once again.

An uncomfortable silence followed Kirihara's outburst. Yanagi didn't say anything to refute his words nor did he offer any answer to them. The data man just stood there and quietly observed his _kouhai_.

Then suddenly, Yanagi's lips curled slightly into a subtle smirk.

"That is because you _are_ a 'brat,' Akaya," Yanagi uttered in his usual unperturbed manner. Kirihara was about to retaliate against his _senpai_'s insult but Yanagi cut him off. "And there is a 99.9% probability that you will remain that way for at least 10 more years."

"_Nan'su ka_—?"

"_However_," Yanagi continued, exaggerating the conjunction word, "no matter how many times we scold you, no matter how hard we punish you…those have never stopped you before from pursuing whatever your heart tells you to do, am I correct? That is one of your most impressive qualities—you _never_ give up, no matter how hopeless it seems."

Kirihara suddenly became still as he heard Yanagi's last words.

"So right now, Akaya…" Yanagi continued as he turned his attention to the tennis bag he had brought into the room. The data man grabbed the handle of the bag and turned it around so its other side was now visible to his _kouhai_.

Emerald eyes automatically focused on the last name that was written on the tennis bag.

It read "Kirihara."

His last name was on the bag—his own tennis bag.

"…What is your heart telling you to do?" Yanagi finished, looking back to watch the junior ace_. _He was satisfied when he saw a sense of comprehension get reflected on his _kouhai_'s face. The data man returned the bag on the sofa once again, before he turned and headed towards Kirihara's bedside table. He took out a key from his pocket and laid it on the table, beside the forgotten _yakiniku_ meal.

It was the key to Kirihara's handcuff.

"There is another corridor to the left of this room that'll lead to the stairs without having to pass the nurses' station. I shall now go back and report to the others at Atobe's mansion. Be a _good boy_, Akaya."

Yanagi sent him one last meaningful look, before he walked towards the door, and then left the room without another word.

For a while, the junior ace sat there frozen, unable to believe what just happened. But once he had snapped out of his daze, he quickly grabbed the key on his bedside table, and rushed to free himself from his handcuff. Finally liberated, he jumped off the bed and ran towards the sofa, on top of which stood the tennis bag.

The junior ace unzipped the bag and saw a fresh set of nondescript tennis clothes—a plain green sports jacket, a black shirt, and white shorts—neatly folded inside. Under the clothes was a pair of white tennis shoes in a clear plastic bag. On top of all of them were a cellphone and a wallet that contained money.

Kirihara was stunned.

So Yanagi had planned to let him go even before his outburst, after all. His earlier accusations concerning the data man and the rest of his _senpais_ now seemed silly to the junior ace. They had always believed in him. Their support just manifested itself in different ways than he saw them as…

A thankful grin unconsciously appeared on Kirihara's boyish face and he shut his eyes in gratefulness as he whispered words that genuinely came from his heart.

"_Arigatou_, Yanagi-_senpai_."

* * *

Wednesday, 2:10 pm

Only about half of the regulars remained in Atobe's mansion. The other half, lead by Atobe, returned to the dome in order to re-inspect the place and also to serve as look-outs. They wisely figured that if the dome is ever going to be rigged, it would most likely happen between now and tomorrow. It's better to be safe than sorry.

For the mean time, the regulars who stayed in the mansion debated on how to pursue the second riddle. The threat letter they received the day before stated that they need to be at the dome by 4 am tomorrow morning; the tournament is scheduled to start at around 7 am. That means they basically have fourteen hours to solve the riddles, figure out how to rescue the hostages, and to prepare for whatever's in store for them tomorrow.

On top of it all, there is the discomfiting "fake bomb" that they also need to consider. As the second riddle said, they _are_ running out of time.

In a corner of the room, Inui was carefully watching Fuji from behind his shady glasses. He noticed that the _tensai_ has been observing the bomb with opened, calculating eyes for a long time now. It was not the first time that the data man's curiosity was piqued by the sudden quietness and scheming expression on the _tensai_'s face. In fact, he has been doing that ever since they discovered the first riddle. It almost seemed as if Fuji is keeping something from all of them. But then again, when has he not? Silent scheming has always been a part of the _tensai_'s character.

Though still, Inui thought that it wouldn't hurt if Fuji would share whatever went on in that genius, sadistic mind of his from time to time. It'll ease his burden of trying to figure the _tensai_ out all the time.

Inui was jolted out of his brooding when the _tensai_ suddenly looked up from his distant examination of the bomb, and then turned his attention to the Rikkai regulars. "Yukimura, you wouldn't mind if I borrow Niou for a while, would you?"

The random question caught the other regulars' attention immediately. Although they were all curious as to what Fuji had in mind, none of them voiced their curiosity. They simply held their breaths and waited for the Rikkai _buchou_'s answer.

For a while, Yukimura silently regarded Fuji with his own probing eyes. The _tensai_'s blue eyes daringly met his and they stared at each other in what seemed like ages to the other players. An unspoken conversation went on between them—from one sadist to another. When Yukimura decided that he found whatever he was looking for in Fuji's eyes, he turned his head away and looked at the bomb on top of the meeting table.

"Make it worthwhile," the _buchou_ assented.

Fuji's eyes instantly closed and he smiled. "You won't be disappointed." The _tensai_ walked over to the table and grabbed the deactivated bomb. All eyes in the room watched his every movement.

"_Saa_, we'll leave the riddle for you guys to figure out then?" Fuji asked to no one in particular as he carried the bomb in his arms.

"O-Of course," was Sanada's stiff answer. He wasn't exactly at ease with the way Fuji had asked to borrow Niou from them. Not to mention, how the _tensai _also took the bomb with him. Who knows what the sadistic _tensai_ was planning?

But if Yukimura thought it wise to let Fuji do as he pleases, then Sanada would not object. He trusted Yukimura with all his being.

Fuji flashed his infamous smile one last time, before he sent a nod to Niou, signaling the trickster to follow him out of the meeting room.

* * *

Kirihara swiftly glided through the corridor that Yanagi had "suggested" for him to take. He saw the door that lead to the stairs at the end of it and felt excitement course through his veins as he thought of finally escaping the hospital. It was a horrible place to him. He never did like it.

The junior ace was now clad in the sporty clothing that the data man had brought for him. Bandages were still on his forehead and his arms and legs but he looked much more legit in casual clothes. At least now he looked more like a bad-ass teenager than a boy who got badly hit by a truck. Kirihara opted to leave the large tennis bag behind to avoid suspicion, but he took the cellphone and the wallet. They were both in his shorts' pockets.

He was almost at the exit door when his peripheral vision caught a form of a person on top of a bench in another hallway near the exit door.

Kirihara instantly froze, his instincts recognizing the person even before his brain had time to process the information.

It was Sakuno.

She was on top of the bench, in a semi-fetal position with her knees drawn up to her chest and her face buried in her knees. Beside her was a white cap with the letter R embroidered inside a blue rectangle frame.

The brunette was so still—so frozen that it seemed as if she had lost the will to live.

Kirihara tried to put two and two together in order to process what happened to the girl. It didn't take long for him to realize it.

_That arrogant bastard hurt her again!_

What else is new? _He_'s the only who can hurt her like this.

He felt heaviness in his chest as he continued to stare at Sakuno. An almost inaudible hiss escaped his lips in a poor attempt to control his emotions. Seeing her in pain like that was already bringing out the demon in him again.

_No!_

The junior ace quickly closed his eyes and willed his other persona away. He can't afford to lose himself right now.

Sakuno needs him.

And darn it, he will be there for her.

When Kirihara opened his eyes again, cloudy emerald orbs appeared. He had temporarily won the battle inside him. The junior ace then proceeded to slowly approach the brunette.

She didn't look up even as he neared her. She was so lost in her own world. It was only when he gently placed a hand on top of her head—in his usual manner of showing his affections to her—did she move to look up at him.

He saw agonized brown eyes try to focus on his face. He saw the next batch of unshed tears that were threatening to fall as her chocolate orbs widened in recognition.

"Akaya-kun—"

Kirihara caught her right hand before she could wipe her tears away.

"_Dame'su_," he lightly scolded, taking her hand softly in his as he sat beside her on the bench. He had carelessly brushed the white cap aside, taking its place beside her as it fell on the floor.

"Don't you _dare_ do that to me, Sa-chan," he firmly told her. The junior ace let go of the hand he kept captive and put his hand on her head again. Though this time, he also pulled her head down toward his hard chest.

"You might be able to fool them, but you can't fool me," Kirihara continued. "I know you better than that."

As soon as Sakuno heard his words, tears flooded from her eyes again. And pretty soon, she was sobbing uncontrollably on his chest.

It felt _so_ nice to cry on him like that.

She was so tired of being ignored, so tired of being hurt, so tired of trying so hard to be liked…that it just felt good to let it all out on someone who she knows would never push her away—someone who likes her for who she is.

So she cried and cried.

He held her gently and listened—listened to each sob that shook her fragile body and simultaneously landed blows on his chest. It pained him to listen to her cry like that. More so because he knew that she was crying because of someone else.

But his pain didn't matter to him.

He would gladly feel pain that is ten times worse than he was feeling at the moment if it meant she would start smiling again—anything to make her pain go away.

Before long, he felt her sobs gradually die down. She still held onto him though, her face pressed against his now drenched shirt and one of her arms around his back.

When he felt that she was feeling a bit better, he finally asked the question that he had been dying to ask her ever since he first saw her in the heart-wrenching position she was in a while ago.

"Can I at least _break_ his face for you this time?"

The only response he got was a muffled protest from his chest, which was soon followed by a gentle tightening of the soft arm that was wrapped around his back.

* * *

"And to what do I owe this honor, _tensai_-san?"

The _sadist_ genius had led Niou to an isolated room further down the hall where the meeting was held. He nonchalantly observed Fuji as the _tensai_ walked towards a cabinet. Fuji set the bomb he was holding on top of it and took out a book from the cabinet's first drawer.

The _tensai _didn't turn to face the trickster when he answered.

"I have a favor to ask—a huge one."

One of Niou's eyebrows shot up at that statement.

"I'm flattered but I'm not so sure this _petenshi_ deserves the honor," the trickster uttered cautiously.

"Our 'adversary' plays with bombs. Taking that into consideration, I know that if anyone has the abilities to do this favor, it's you, Niou." Fuji finally turned to meet the trickster's eyes. The Rikkai player was almost arrested by the serious—almost guilty—look in Fuji's darkened blue orbs.

"But _saa_, I must tell you that I'm not playing fair. This favor I ask of you is selfish—selfish enough that I'm sure I'm asking more from you than I'm entitled to. Though please be aware that I wouldn't be doing this in the first place if I know a better way to go about the problem."

The infamous charming smile suddenly returned to the _tensai_'s face, serving to lighten up the atmosphere even as his words did the exact opposite.

Niou sighed and randomly raised his right hand to massage a sore spot on his left shoulder.

"What's the catch?" he lightly asked Fuji.

"I'll let you assess that for yourself." Fuji maintained the smile on his face as he glanced down at the book in his hand. He soon tossed it to Niou, who caught it easily. It was a medium-sized hardbound book. Surprisingly, it wasn't as heavy as it first appeared to be.

"Usually, people would need weeks to read and learn everything that is inside that book. But since I have reason to believe that you already know the 'basics,' I'm sure you'll be able to finish it in an hour or so," Fuji said as he approached the door.

"I'll be waiting outside. Meet me when you're done."

With a last smile and the soft shutting of the door, the _tensai_ was gone and Niou found himself alone with the book. He idly glanced at the title written on its cover.

It read "_Personal Explosives Workshop: Everything You Need to Know About Modern Bombs_."

An amused smirk played on his face and he soon looked up in order to glance at the fake bomb that was left on top of the cabinet.

"So that was what it's here for."

* * *

Everyone in the room looked up when Yanagi entered the meeting room to join the others. They had already figured out the location of the next item in the riddle and were just dividing people into groups in order to make more efficient search parties.

"How's Akaya?" was Sanada's urgent question to the data man.

"He went to follow Ryuzaki-san as I predicted," Yanagi uttered as he took his place next to the _fukubuchou_ at the end of the meeting table.

His answer was followed by a heavy sigh from Sanada. A deep frown was on the _fukubuchou_'s face. He was worried about the youngest member of their team. "I was afraid that it would come to that. Perhaps it will be wise to send Marui or Jackal to help them."

"We need them here," Yukimura gently interjected from Sanada's other side. "Not to mention, we can barely spare any more men to help them. If we are to send someone, it will be more appropriate to send someone of their age group."

Yanagi caught the concealed reasoning behind Yukimura's last words. He gave the _buchou_ a silent scrutinizing look.

"_Sore nara_, then allow us to send someone from our—" Shiraishi, who overheard the Rikkai players' conversation, gallantly offered before he was cut off by Kin-chan, who saw the opportunity as a chance to rejoin Ryoma and Sakuno in their investigation.

"_Wai!_ _Wai!_ Pick me! I'm the same age as Sakuno-chan and I will—Mmmffff! Mffffff!" The poor red-haired prodigy was soon restrained by Chitose, who clamped a hand on his mouth to shut up the young boy.

"Although I have no objections in sending Kintarou-kun to help them, perhaps it will be wiser to send someone who is not as emotionally-attached to Ryuzaki-san. Their situation is already…bad as it is," Yanagi advised, remembering the charged atmosphere in the hospital room when Ryoma and Sakuno visited the junior ace. Another boy who would fight for the girl would certainly only make their situations worse.

"Then how about Zaizen? He's around their age group," Shiraishi suggested, ignoring Kintarou's furious glares as he struggled against Chitose's grasp.

The regulars who were involved in the conversation turned to look at the apathetic second year. It wasn't a bad idea. From what they had observed, Zaizen would actually be a good candidate to accompany the young ones in their investigation. His rational and calm demeanor will prove handy if he needs to play as an arbitrator between Ryoma and Kirihara.

Zaizen stared back at the expecting regulars neutrally. He knew what they were really up to. They were trying to minimize the number of young players involved in the current dangerous business. Their mission to send him as a 'babysitter' for the others was part of that scheme.

"_Gomen_, but according to Yanagi-san's statement, I'm not qualified either," the second year easily rebutted.

"And why not?" Sanada challenged in his thunderous voice.

"I'm _also_ in-love with Ryuzaki-san."

Zaizen's deadpan answer was so blunt and random that it sounded as if he just commented about the weather that day. The others stared at him in surprise.

Beside him, Kenya sputtered and gawked as if he just swallowed a live fish.

"What? Since when—But you—? You can fall in love?" the speed star asked incredulously.

"That's kind of a mean thing to say, Kenya-san," Zaizen answered apathetically, lacking the emotions needed to support his conviction.

Kenya was still gawking at him. But unlike the speed star, Shiraishi had immediately caught onto his _kouhai_'s real intention. He smirked to himself and nonverbally acquiesced to Zaizen's decision.

"Then how about someone from the Hyoutei team?" Shiraishi asked, turning his attention to the people on the far side of the table.

Shishido perked up at the question and glanced at his doubles partner. It was a chance to get Choutarou to at least a 'somewhat' safer situation, so he's all for the idea. "I guess Choutarou would be good for the part."

The second year jolted at his _senpai_'s suggestion. He honestly wanted to stay with his team to help too, so he gathered up his courage and humbly protested against Shishido's wish.

"_Gomen nasai_, Shishido-san, _minna_-san, but I also would prefer to stay here and help everyone," he bowed his head along with his apology.

Shishido frowned. "Don't be stubborn, you could help us too by—"

"If it's a second year you want, there's another one from our team who would be perfect for the task you want done," Choutarou uttered, meeting Shishido's eyes in gentle defiance for the first time.

Shishido blinked, realizing what his partner was suggesting. 'That person' is helping Atobe's group at the dome at the moment but a quick call could easily solve the problem.

* * *

The first thing she became conscious of was a sense of moving.

Then a familiar, comforting scent—the scent of pine trees. It was so familiar to her that she felt like she's known it for forever.

Somewhere, in between all that realization, she was able to feel dull aches coming from wounds and bruises that were all over her body. The pain killers that she had taken before parting with the Shitenhouji players were mostly likely wearing of. However, the pain from her wounds wasn't the one she was most conscious of. No, there was a more painful ache that was coming from her chest.

Sakuno was curious when she realized that her arms were loosely around an object and hanging on to it.

Tiredly, she forced her eyes to open a bit. A green cotton jacket was the first thing that assaulted her sight. It was soon followed by a mess of black hair. Then from her peripheral vision, she saw blurs of her surroundings moving past her.

'_What is going on? Why is the world moving?'_

"Yo, Sa-chan. _Okita_?" A cheerful, boyish voice came from somewhere in front of her. Sakuno felt the slight swoosh of the soft, black hair on her face as the person slightly turned his head towards her when he asked the question.

'_That was…'_

"A-Akaya-kun!"

She jolted straight up as she finally realized what was going on. She was being carried by Kirihara—in a piggyback ride fashion! Feelings of embarrassment and guilt simultaneously came to her and she tried to struggle away from the junior ace's grasp in a panicked manner. It took all of the strength, balance, and coordination that Kirihara mastered from playing tennis just to keep both of them upright.

"_G-gomen, _I'll get off you—"

"A-Ah, _d-d-dame_, Sa-chan! Stop moving or we'll—"

"—you just got out of the hospital and I'm—" she pleaded anxiously as she wiggled her legs to free them from Kirihara's hold. The junior ace desperately tried to hold on to them.

"—Sa-chan, I'm not kidding, we'll both fall—"

"—_Baka, baka, baka_, I'm such a useless person—"

"—if you don't stop struggling, I'll make sure that we fall into a suggestive position like those seen in overrated, romantic _shoujo_ _mangas_!"

That effectively stopped the brunette from struggling.

Kirihara let out a loud sigh of relief before moving to readjust the petite girl on his back so she would be more comfortable. And then, he continued carrying her as he walked along a residential street. Fortunately for the two, it was fairly deserted.

"Would you please let me explain first before you start panicking again?"

Sakuno nodded guiltily and buried her face on his back again to hide the mad blush on her face. To make things easier for the boy, she also opted to loosely rewrap her arms around his neck. She can't believe how stupid she just acted.

"Y'see, I couldn't let us stay in the hospital for much longer since the nurses might catch me and put me back in that horrible prison they had the nerve to call a 'hospital room.'" A scowl appeared on the Rikkai player's face as he said the last two words in disgust.

"But then, Sa-chan had fallen asleep. You were sleeping so cutely and innocently that I didn't have the heart to wake you up so I just ended up carrying you." Kirihara's face noticeably reddened upon his admission.

"I was planning on carrying you in my arms like a b- bride. But anyway! Yeah, people might think I kidnapped you or something so I just settled for a piggyback ride. _Suman_ if it was uncomfortable for you…" he trailed off guiltily at the last part.

Sakuno just listened quietly to his rant. She vaguely remembered the last few moments that happened before she passed out on Kirihara. She had cried on his chest like a little baby.

"Besides, I wasn't sure when the last train for Kyoto would leave the station so—"

"K-Kyoto?" her soft voice uttered in confusion. That startled Sakuno from the guilt trip she was silently casting on herself.

Kirihara glanced at her briefly from the sides of his eyes. "_Sou'su yo_! Wasn't that where you were headed earlier? You need to find evidence to prove your _nii-san_'s innocence, right?"

A new wave of depression came over Sakuno as she was reminded of the problems she tried so hard not to think about.

"I think Yanagi-_senpai_ gave me enough money to purchase two tickets so—"

"_Mou ii kara…_Akaya-kun."

Kirihara suddenly stopped walking. He wasn't sure he heard her correctly but then she repeated herself.

"_M-mou ii_. It's no use. I'm just a burden to everyone so it's okay." Sakuno shut her eyes, hating and blaming herself for everything that has happened recently. "It's okay…just let me go."

"Like hell am I ever going to do that!" Kirihara suddenly exclaimed. His voice was deeper than usual, a clear indication that he was pissed off by what she said.

"Sa-chan, this guy—this murderer, whoever he is—is trying to break our bonds with each other. He has no idea how hard we worked for those! It took a heck a lot of luck, hard work, and guts just to have our bonds the way they are right now and I'll be damned if I ever let him destroy those."

He stood still for a moment, his bangs covering the expression in his eyes.

"I almost lost them…the most important bonds I've ever made in my life and if it wasn't for what you did that night, I probably would've."

He paused briefly.

"But you didn't let me give up. So don't you give up on yours, Sa-chan. _I won't let you_. I know how special those bonds are to you. So, no matter what happens, I won't let you give up on them, alright? Don't you _dare_ let go of those bonds."

Kirihara waited for a response from the brunette, but when nothing came, he started panicking. "Ah, I'm probably not making sense. I'm no good when it comes to these things. Darn it, maybe I should've played those dating games Niou-_senpai _gave me last Christmas—"

He was cut off when he felt her arms tighten around his neck—just enough, so as to not choke him, and then he was confused.

"Sa-chan?"

The sniffling he heard from the girl only made him more anxious.

"_A-ah_, _suman_! Did I say something wrong—?"

"_A-arigatou_…" Sakuno weakly voiced out, the word coming out as a broken sob.

"_A-arigatou, _Akaya-kun."

The junior ace frowned, not sure if he should accept her gratitude. He made her cry, for pete's sake! But then she repeated that word again.

"_Arigatou, arigatou, arigatou."_

Over and over—as if she cannot say it enough to express her feelings.

"_Arigatou, arigatou, arigatou, ariga..tou."_

Because in reality, she really couldn't. No amount of "thank you's" could ever express how thankful she was to him for always being there for her—for always putting herself before himself, sacrificing his own happiness for her own.

And she felt guilty, because deep down, she knows she can never repay him—she can never return his feelings enough.

But fortunately for her, Kirihara's not the type to make her feel guilty for not being able to return his feelings for her. Even from the start, he knew how hopeless it was. Yet, he never gave up. He never gave up on her because he knew that every moment with her was precious—that she was worth all the pain and trouble.

"_Baaaka,_" Kirihara muttered kiddingly. "I'd expect tons of home-cooked _yakiniku_ meals for all these troubles, y'know. And not cooked by just anyone, they have to be _specially _cooked by Sa-chan. Heck, I heard that that annoying red-haired boy from Shitenhouji receives more home-cooked meals from you than I do! That's not fair, Sa-chan."

"_G-gomen_," she lamely apologized for lack of a better response. She was still crying silently on his back, but her burden somehow felt so much lighter now. When she's with him, it always felt lighter.

"And don't worry, unlike _some jerks_," he emphasized the last words as if they were poison, "I won't _ever_ abandon you. That's a promise, Sa-chan."

Sakuno felt so touched—so warmed by his words that she had no idea how to reply. So she just tightened her arms around him, not knowing that she was starting to choke him already. When the boy started gasping and coughing, she guiltily loosened her hold though they still remained firm around him.

"_Demo_ _ne_, I'm also serious about what I said earlier," Kirihara suddenly added.

Sakuno blinked, not sure what he was referring to. "_N-nani_?"

"About _breaking_ that jerk's face for you! I can't wait to make that guy blee—"

He was stopped when he was "accidentally" choked again—though in a much, much tender way this time.

* * *

He gave him roughly an hour.

He came out after thirty-two minutes.

Fuji smirked. As expected from one of Rikkai's star players—Masaharu Niou is really something.

But the serious face the trickster wore when he walked out of the room told the _tensai_ that the Rikkai player had finally realized the gravity of his favor.

"So were my suspicions correct? That missing piece inside the compartment of the bomb was really 'that thing'? And the time limit—?" Fuji asked , though he already knew the answer.

Niou just nodded.

"I was afraid of that."

There was a brief, tension-filled silence.

Then Fuji asked, "Is there any way we can get away from it without compromising our goals?"

The trickster stared at the floor and brooded. Fuji was holding his breath for an affirmative answer.

"There is, but the chances are really slim. After all, I haven't tinkered much with those kinds of things. It might as well be nothing."

"But it _isn't_ nothing. So we'll take that. No, let me correct myself. _You_ will take that, I have other businesses to take care of," Fuji admitted boldly. Niou looked up and stared at him in slight surprise.

"I won't have any problem if it's just me. But the plan I have in mind will most likely involve more people."

The news did not seem to disturb Fuji. "How many?"

"Four—six at the most," the trickster uttered with a heavy tone.

A pause.

"Very well."

There was a slight shock in Niou's eyes as if he couldn't believe what he just heard. "_Oi_, _tensai_-san, I don't think I was making myself clear—"

"We all agreed to this, _knowing_ the dangers that lie before us," Fuji interrupted in a serious manner. Niou narrowed his eyes, clearly not liking the other player's tone at the moment.

The _tensai_ just stared back and smirked a bit. "I know, I'm horrible. But I'm prepared to do _anything_ to save my brother's life." Fuji then averted his eyes and glanced outside a window that was located in the isolated corridor.

"He is a smart guy. He's managed to corner us to play his game _exactly_ the way he wants it. So, I figured, if it meant saving some lives while sacrificing others, why not give him that satisfaction and play his game the way he wants us to?"

There was an undertone to that statement and any oblivious person could've easily missed the hidden message behind the _tensai_'s words. But Niou didn't. He quickly caught what the _tensai_ is trying to suggest to him.

"By the way, have I ever told you how much I admire your _Illusion_?" Fuji added, somewhat randomly.

At that moment, something occurred to Niou and a crazy idea started to formulate in his head. And then suddenly, the _tensai_'s favor did not seem that irrational to him anymore.

* * *

Kirihara carefully lowered the brunette to a bench that was located on a side street near Tokyo Train Station. He was digging in his shorts' pocket for his wallet when he noticed the girl's flushed and somewhat pained expression from his peripheral view.

"Sa-chan, _doushita_?" he uttered, not hiding the concern in his voice.

Sakuno tried her best to ignore the pain in her shoulder. It most likely started bleeding again. On top of that, she felt like her entire body was on fire. She's obviously not feeling well, but she forced her face to display a pleasant smile for the junior ace.

"_Daijobu_," she said softly, beads of sweat clinging to her forehead. "Just…tired."

The boy's face indicated that he did not believe her, but he nodded anyway. He has no idea of the injuries she sustained. Yanagi and Sanada purposely did not mention those details to him. "You can rest on the train. I'll just grab our tickets then we're good to go," he gave her an energetic smile, which she tried her best to return.

"So, which part of Kyoto do we need to go to?" the junior ace soon asked.

At the question, Sakuno just blinked and upon realizing something, started to lower her head and hide her eyes underneath her bangs in embarrassment. She felt a flush in her cheeks that she suspected had nothing to do with the burning feeling all over her body.

"_A-ano_…"

Kirihara sweatdropped and forced himself to continue grinning nicely at the girl. It helped that she looked so cute blushing and hiding from him like that. Yap, that definitely helped a lot.

"You don't know the address, do you?" he asked condescendingly, but not unkindly.

Sakuno flushed even more. "_Gomen nasai_! Ryoma-kun had the address and I—"

The junior ace simply let out a sigh and started to take out the cellphone Yanagi left him. "_Shouganai naa_. I guess I'll just ask Yanagi-_senpai_—"

"And here I thought I was supposed to be 'catching up' to you guys," a familiar, sarcastic and arrogant voice interrupted the duo's conversation and both teenagers glanced towards their left to see who had spoken.

They saw the form of a person, holding out a tiny sheet of paper, in which an address in Kyoto was scribbled. The guy soon pocketed the address and stared directly at Kirihara.

The junior ace's eyes widened in alert at their unexpected 'visitor.'

"_O-omae wa—!_"

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Has it been that long already? I can't believe it. I'm sorry, I've just been so busy lately that I couldn't find the time and energy to write.

I'm pretty sure most of you guys who are nice enough to continue reading this ridiculously looong story just want it to end already. And I'm with you guys, honestly! Sometimes, I just want to write the ending and leave it at that. But then, I'll realize how lame that is, not developing things at the right moment, and then I'm back to square one.

But I'd like to thank all of you who continue to support my story!

If not because of you, kind reviewers, I would've abandoned this a long time ago :3

**Japanese Vocab:**

_Wakatteiru yo_ – I understand; I know

_Nan'su ka_ – What? ('su is an abbreviation of 'desu' used most often by bratty boys like Akaya)

_Arigatou'su_ – Thank you

_Dame_'su – don't; you can't; stop

_Petenshi_ – imposter; crook

_Sore nara_ – If that's the case

_Okita_? – Did you wake up?

_Suman – _sorry

_Sou'su yo_ – That's right

_Mou ii_ _kara_– it's enough

_Baka_ – idiot

_Demo ne_ – "But hey"

_Nani_ – what?

_Doushita_ – what's wrong?

_Shouganai naa_ – I guess it can't be helped

_Omae wa_ – You!

_Abunai_ – Look out! It's dangerous!

_Onegai_- please


	39. First Farewells

**XXXIX. First Farewells**

3…

2…

1!

Ryoma Echizen literally slid through the train doors just as they closed behind him. The shocked passengers inside the train stared at the barely panting boy before he straightened up calmly and moved towards the end of the train where it wasn't as crowded.

'_Che_, I really need to stop attracting attention to myself.'

However, unlike the previous occasions wherein he had done something similar, his actions were really justified this time.

_Some people_ have been following him.

He had first spotted one of them when he was leaving the hospital. He took short-cuts through alleys and even changed his walking pace from time to time in order to lose him. But when he arrived near Tokyo Station, his stalker had reappeared along with two other people. They were all wearing black coats and overly huge hats—outfits that he now deemed as their uniforms.

With his last-minute boarding of some random train, the prince knew that he had lost them, albeit only temporarily.

On a side note, he was relieved that Sakuno wasn't with him at the moment. Now, he was sure that leaving her at the hospital had been the right decision. There was no need to put her in further danger and he knew that if he hadn't said and done what he did, the girl would've never agreed to stay behind. She would've begged him with her adorable, puppy eyes and he would've been putty in her hands.

Besides, she was starting to become a great source of distraction to him—bringing out weird emotions he had never felt before and making him lose control over the smooth and cool personality he always managed to put on. He wouldn't be able to think clearly if she gets to be around him while he plunges deeper into this dangerous investigative work. It's better that she's alive and breathing while hating his guts, than to have to suffer the torment of worrying about her safety. Yes, even if that basically meant leaving her behind so she can stay with that seaweed-haired player.

Ryoma let out an annoyed sigh and tried to erase the thought from his mind as he glanced out at the window train. His arrival to Kyoto would have to be delayed, especially now that he had taken a random train to some random station. He shifted his weight from both of his feet to his uninjured foot just to relieve the other of any stress he had put it through from all that running and jumping.

Slightly smirking to himself, he found amusement in the fact that his father would be irritated if he finds his son with a re-busted ankle the next time he sees him.

'Serves that perverted old man right.'

* * *

Kirihara semi-glared at the boy sitting parallel to his seat in the bullet train. As much as the junior ace would love to just sleep off the entire two-and-a-half-hour trip from Tokyo to Kyoto, he knew he needed to be alert for Sakuno. Who knows what horrible things could happen to the girl if he drifted off to dream land even for just a second.

"Tell me again why they sent _you_ out of all the regulars gathered in that place," Kirihara muttered to the other boy.

Hiyoshi tried to ignore his companion's irritation. Honestly, he didn't want to be sent to "babysit" them as well, but what could he do? Atobe practically threatened him to accept the job. If only he could accomplish _Gekokujou_ sooner than later, then he wouldn't have to take orders from _anyone_ ever again.

As the second year from Hyoutei had graciously purchased tickets for 16 seats in the bullet train, they basically had the entire last section of the train to themselves. Hiyoshi had purposely done it so he and Kirihara can have private conversations.

"If you and that freshman from Seigaku weren't too love-sick to correctly perform your duties, then they wouldn't have had to send another person in the first place," he replied, his words dripping with sarcasm.

Kirihara hissed, "What was that you said?"

The regular from Hyoutei closed his eyes and tried to take a deep breath in order to calm himself. His _buchou_ had practically warned him against losing his temper while he's with them. He's supposed to be the calm one in the youngsters' group.

Though Hiyoshi doesn't see the rationale for that since Atobe perfectly knows how quickly he loses his temper as well. Perhaps the arrogant captain saw this as an opportunity to "train" Hiyoshi to have more patience.

"In any case, where is he anyway?" Hiyoshi asked to divert his fellow second year's anger, "That Echizen. I was informed that he's supposed to be with you two."

At his question, Kirihara stiffened and he suddenly sent a glance at the brunette beside him, who had fallen asleep leaning her head against his shoulder. He was somewhat thankful that Hiyoshi had the decency to wait until Sakuno had drifted off to sleep before asking about Ryoma.

"Probably went off solo to Kyoto, as usual."

"How stupid," Hiyoshi commented.

Kirihara scoffed, "Tell me about it."

It was another one of those odd things he and Hiyoshi agree upon. Although he and the Hyoutei regular weren't exactly "BFFL's" in the strictest sense, he must admit that he and Hiyoshi have a lot of things in common. What with them being the aces of their teams, having short tempers, aggressiveness, and the fact that quite a few of their _senpai-tachi_ often abuse them.

"It's also stupid of you to bring the girl with us. She's a weakness," Hiyoshi added, igniting Kirihara's temper once again.

"Don't you _dare_ talk about Sa-chan like that! I'll frigging smash your—"

"And you just proved my point," the Hyoutei regular replied back, hammering the point of how Kirihara easily loses his temper whenever the brunette is concerned.

It shut up the second year ace. It was a point for Hiyoshi, and he took that opportunity as an advantage.

"Better not get too close," the _Gekokujou_ player advised, his words heavy with meaning, "or _parting_ would be difficult."

His words hit Kirihara like a punch to the gut. The junior ace became morosely still. He heard the quiet breaths the brunette beside him was taking as she continued to slumber. It was amazing how she managed to sleep through all of his shouting and movements. The girl must've been really tired.

Kirihara turned his head and settled to watch Sakuno as he thought about Hiyoshi's words. Frowning, he decided to just dismiss them.

"Too late for that," the junior ace finally mumbled, putting a temporary end to their conversation.

* * *

"_**Make those monkeys visit the 47's head." **_

They've determined that the "47's head" mentioned in the riddle pertains to Oishi Yoshio, the "head" or leader of the 47 _samurais_.

As they have already scoured the temple where the 47 _samurais_ were buried, they figured that the second riddle is referring to a different place. Visiting a person usually meant going to his or her residence so the regulars deduced that the riddle is instructing them to visit Oishi Yoshio's house when he was still alive, which is located in Ako, Hyogo in the island of Honshu, Japan.

Though Ako was quite far from Tokyo, getting to the place wasn't a big deal for the players. After all, they have _The Great_ Keigo Atobe's patronage. The next thing they need to do is to find the mysterious object.

At the moment, the regulars were paired up into small search parties. Fuji was surprisingly partnered with Yukimura. They were searching the area around Oishi's previous residence.

As they were walking around the old house's perimeter, an idea suddenly struck Fuji. Somewhere in between his silent rumination about things, he started to recognize a pattern.

First off, the "fake bomb" was found around a temple ground. Interestingly enough, the first murder attack happened at the _Tanabata_ festival, which was _also_ held on a temple. And if he remembers correctly, the second, third, and fourth attacks also occurred…around temples!

His blue eyes snapped opened in alert and his first thought was to grab his cellphone. Yukimura noticed Fuji's movements but didn't comment about it. The _buchou _simply settled to watch the _tensai_ from a few feet behind.

Fuji dialed a number and patiently waited for the person on the other line to pick up. As soon as the person answered his call, Fuji muttered urgently to his cellphone:

"Niou, I know exactly where our mysterious object is."

* * *

"I think I can walk by myself, Akaya-kun," Sakuno murmured with a deep blush on her face.

She felt ashamed that Kirihara had to end up carrying her on his back again when they got to Kyoto Station. The boy simply said that she still seemed tired and since he was feeling pretty energetic himself, it wasn't a big deal.

Besides, Kirihara said that she's as light as a sack of feathers. Hiyoshi had snorted at that last comment but the junior ace hushed him up with a single glare.

They were just exiting the station when the junior ace suddenly stiffened upon noticing that two men—dressed in all black and lounging next to the gates—had discreetly watched them as they passed by.

Kirihara silently cursed in dismay when he felt them following his group as they continued along a commercial street. He glanced at Hiyoshi, who told him with a single nod that he had noticed the shady men too.

Sakuno had felt Kirihara tense. She frowned and was about to ask what was wrong when the junior ace cut her off with a complaint.

"I'm hungry, Sa-chan. Let's go get something to eat."

His voice had come out normal, but she was able to detect the fakeness in it.

"Tsk. Hungry already? We haven't even accomplished anything yet."

Kirihara growled at Hiyoshi. "Easy for you to say, you didn't spend days in a hospital getting nothing in your system but creepy drops of dextrose!"

The Hyoutei second year brushed off his excuse and simply glanced at a store that was selling sports equipments across the street. He then sent Kirihara a meaningful look before he said his next words.

"In any case, I'm not that hungry so you two can grab a bite. I'll be at that sports equipment store across the street, waiting."

The junior ace smirked. "Sounds good."

With those last words, Kirihara parted with Hiyoshi and took Sakuno into a crowded Chinese restaurant located on the side of the street they were at. At least, in a crowded restaurant like the one they were in, the suspicious guys couldn't just grab Sakuno without attracting attention to themselves.

He quickly found an empty table that he deemed safe enough for Sakuno. While he was dropping the brunette onto the cushioned seat of the booth, he whispered a quick explanation to her ears.

"Sa-chan, we're being followed," Kirihara saw her eyes widen in alert at that statement so he decided to calm her down, "Don't worry, we'll take care of them quickly. Just stay here and don't leave this place no matter what happens, okay? I _promise_ I'll come back for you as soon as I can. I'll finish this within 15 minutes for 'ya!"

When he straightened up, he sent her an assuring, cocky smile and muttered out loud, "Order _yakisoba_ for me. You know which type I like!"

He then casually walked out of the restaurant and headed towards the sports equipment store where Hiyoshi was waiting. Sakuno wasn't able to do anything but worriedly watch his retreating back through the glass windows of the restaurant.

* * *

"Looks pretty interesting," Niou muttered.

He and Yagyuu stood in front of a small cave, located in the forest that was behind Oishi Yoshio's residence. Deep inside it is supposed to be a small shrine temple that was hidden from the public by monks who lived in the area decades ago. Though the temple is still partly maintained by present-day monks and pilgrims, barely anyone visits the site anymore.

The trickster glanced at Yagyuu, and with a single nod from the gentleman player, the Platinum Pair entered the cave.

It was chilly inside and they were not able to see anything but darkness for at least a quarter mile into the cave. They never expected that it was _that_ deep.

After about another minute of walking, they began to see telltale signs of flickering lights ahead of them. As they approached the illuminations, they realized that the source of the lights were candles that had been lit and arranged in a straight line in front of a _torii_ gate that marked the entrance of the shrine temple.

The atmosphere that the site created was beyond creepy. It was as if somebody had set up the place to mimic temples wherein ritual sacrifices of people's lives were performed.

"Didn't expect that guy to be this dramatic," Niou joked, referring to the "horror-movie" set-up of the place. Yagyuu just sent him an indulging look. Honestly, he thought that this was hardly the time to kid about stuff like that.

Careful as to not step on the candles, they passed through the _tori_ gate and were greeted by wooden steps that lead to the raised platform of the shrine. Unlike the previous object mentioned in the first riddle, the object they're searching for was not that hidden from their eyes this time.

In fact, it sat there—in front of the entrance of the shrine itself—mocking them with its presence.

It was a bomb, not much different from the first bomb they discovered.

Except this time…

This time, the wires were all connected, making the bomb fully functional. Not to mention, the LED display on top of the bomb has a number on its screen.

_**Four.**_

* * *

Kirihara had spotted Hiyoshi at the counter of the store. The _Gekokujou_ player was purchasing a couple of tennis balls, two tennis rackets, some durable ropes, two backpacks, medical tapes, and other supplies. After he was done, the boy glanced behind him and spotted Kirihara giving him a pretty hilarious, incredulous look.

"And you found time to shop?" Kirihara almost growled out the words to him. Hiyoshi wanted to smack him for his stupidity. Instead, he just settled to distribute the goods between the two of them and give the other player a biting, sarcastic reply.

"Your stupidity never ceases to astound me, Kirihara."

"What was that—?"

"They're watching us through the glass doors so watch your mouth," Hiyoshi suddenly whispered, pertaining to the two men dressed in all black who were stationed like policemen outside the sports store they were currently in.

Hiyoshi turned his back so that they couldn't see his facial expressions and the movements of his mouth as he spoke about his plan to Kirihara.

"We'll try to lure them to a less crowded part of the town so we can avoid scandal."

Kirihara nodded with a pleased grin. "Nice'_su_! That way, we can lure them away from Sa-chan too."

The second year ace still stared wonderingly at Hiyoshi's tennis equipments, however, indicating that he still didn't get what they were for. Hiyoshi let out a frustrated sigh.

"When it comes to distance chasing, your Knuckle Serve would prove very effective in knocking out the enemy," the Hyoutei player gritted out. "So will my Enbu tennis."

There was a predatory smirk that gradually grew on Kirihara's face as he finally realized what the other second year ace was suggesting. In retrospect, he can't really be blamed for his slow recognition since he mostly fought with his own fists whenever he was engaged in squabbles.

"Try not to hit their heads too hard. We need them coherent and alive for questioning."

He received another nod from the Rikkai player.

"Now, the only problem left is how to lure them to a place most appropriate for our needs," Hiyoshi muttered wonderingly.

Kirihara saw the back door of the sports shop and suddenly remembered a similar incident that happened not so long ago—an incident that involved back alleys, some chasing, and cornering with a few of his _senpai_'s.

"I got it," Kirhara suddenly said, turning back to Hiyoshi, as a plan formulated itself in his head. Smirking, he knew for a fact that what they were about to do would certainly make his Niou-_senpai _proud.

* * *

"Don't touch it," Niou instructed when Yagyuu had bent down to inspect the bomb more closely. Yagyuu froze midway and sent his partner a strained look.

"Four minutes or—"

"Four seconds," the trickster grimly answered.

"Then—"

"Relax. The timer hasn't started…_yet_."

Expelling a sigh to steady his nerves a bit, Yagyuu straightened up and returned his attention to the bomb.

On the other hand, Niou looked around and scanned the place. He was in the middle of imprinting the layout of the cave into his memory when the glint of something flashy caught his trained eyes. It had only been for a second but he saw it.

It came from the temple roof.

The trickster hid an amused smirk and kept that small fact in his mind for future reference.

"Niou-kun, there's a paper for the third riddle inside the bomb's compartment," Yagyuu muttered next to him.

"_Sou jya._ But once we open the compartment to get the riddle, the bomb's timer will activate."

The shocked expression on Yagyuu's face told him he hadn't expected that. Honestly, he hadn't either.

If Fuji didn't give him some alone time with the first "fake" bomb and if not for the extra information he read in the book lent to him, Niou wouldn't have known that the type of bomb their adversary left them had a motion detector installed in it so that once the see-through compartment was opened, touched, or broken in any sort of way, the bomb will automatically activate. It was also made in a way that if any of its wires were cut (as in an attempt to disable it), it will automatically explode.

"If that's the case, how are we supposed to get the riddle?" Yagyuu asked, barely able to hide his anxiety. There was a creeping dread in his guts that he tried to ignore.

Niou crouched in front of the bomb and took out a paper and a pen from his pocket. He started scribbling some sort of geometric figures and other drawings.

"We sacrifice," the trickster finally said, surprisingly in a nonchalant tone. "Being a mystery freak, I'm pretty sure that you watch that popular detective show on TV. You know, the one that's on every weekend? If you remember in one of its episodes, the bomber had a similar method. People would have to die in order to obtain the next clue to the mystery."

The idea struck Yagyuu as preposterous and he immediately protested against it, "That's unacceptable! Besides, there is no way a person can read the riddle and send the message to other people within four seconds. It's not feasible! There's just not enough time."

"Not with one person, but with two people, yes, it is doable."

The thought made the gentleman player stiffen.

"Especially two people who have worked as a doubles team for years. One can read the riddle while the other person types it on his cellphone."

Yagyuu hardened his eyes in temporary denial.

"There _must be_ another way, Niou-kun," he uttered, almost as a plea.

Niou just continued to scribble on his paper.

"There probably is. But _time_ is not on our side. If I'm right about my prediction, then the time limit implied in the second riddle meant that there's a bomb set up in the place where the hostages are being held and that we must find it before our 'time is up.'"

After that explanation, cold dread just filled Yagyuu's body. His silence told the trickster that his partner has finally accepted what he was planning to do.

There's pretty much no chance of escaping once the bomb explodes. Even with tremendous speed, a person can only get as far as he can until the blast catches up to him. And judging from the size of the bomb, it'll most likely give out a huge explosion.

Niou suddenly paused from writing.

"Yagyuu," he called, his voice sounding genuinely serious for the first time, "you _don't_ _have_ to do this with me."

For a while, there was nothing but silence in the cave. Only the eerie sound of the wind coming from the opening was heard in the place.

"That's—That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard you say since I met you, Niou-kun," the gentleman player finally said with a rueful smile as he turned to face the trickster. "You've dragged me into all sorts of trouble before. This one shouldn't be any different."

His statement brought back Niou's cocky smile. "And I've always known you were sort of crazy inside. That's why I chose you as my doubles partner."

Yagyuu tried to think of that as a compliment and allowed the thought to warm his cold body for a second, before he turned serious again. "So, shall we do this, Niou-kun?"

The trickster stood up and pocketed the piece of paper before he answered his partner.

"Not yet. As you already know, what we'll get is the third riddle. That means there'll be one more left to find after all of this trouble."

Yagyuu continued looking at him, questioning.

"We'll have to 'chat' with a few doubles rivals of ours so we can leave specific instructions about what to do with the last one," Niou stared back at the gentleman player, smirking. "Besides, I want to buy a _few_ things from town."

* * *

As soon as the two players disappeared through the back door of the sports equipment shop, both men in black panicked and immediately went into the store in order to follow the tennis players via the back door. Once they saw both players running further down the store's back alley, they immediately gave chase.

A couple of turns, more shadowy alleys, and exhausted pants later, they suddenly lost track of the two teenage boys. They were currently in the middle of a four-way intersection of a deserted part of town surrounded by empty buildings and had no idea where to go.

The taller one of the two growled and turned to his partner irritably, "Where the hell did those brats go?"

"'Dunno, 'was just following you. 'Thought you were keeping track of 'em."

"You were watching them too, you idi—"

_Pluck_.

The smaller one quivered as he saw his partner's eyes roll towards the back of his head. A tennis ball had hit him on his left shoulder with such speed, force, and accuracy that it hit a pressure point and made him unconscious within a second.

The remaining man then looked around the area in a panicked manner.

"'The hell, man? Where the fu** are you?" he uttered, his legs shaking uncontrollably, as he turned his head everywhere while his body rotated around in a dizzying manner.

Then all of a sudden, his back had hit what seemed like a hard object, making him stumble forward. He glanced behind him in cold fear and saw one of the brats he was chasing. The boy was looming over him with a dark expression in his eyes.

Brown hair and dangerous eyes were the last things he saw before the said boy made a weird, martial arts pose and then attacked him with strikes.

"_Oi_, I thought we're supposed to be using tennis!" Kirihara protested as he approached his current partner. He had just come down from the rooftop of an empty building, from which he had delivered his Knuckle Serve.

The junior ace then shifted his eyes in order to survey the unconscious men they just knocked out.

"So that's where those weird tennis poses come from?" Kirihara allowed a smirk to grace his boyish face. "Not bad for a _hecka_ weird martial arts."

Hiyoshi glared at him for the insult. "Don't _make me_ try it on you."

* * *

Ryoma arrived at Kyoto Station at around 6:30 pm. The first thing he did was to check the station for any signs of his stalkers. When he didn't find any traces of them, he relaxed a bit.

The prince then glanced at the address he had scribbled on the small piece of paper. With a slight narrowing of his eyes, he realized that he would have to ask around in order to find the exact place. After all, he was not familiar with Kyoto at all.

He was walking along a busy street with his eyes constantly searching the area when a sight across the street suddenly made him stop dead on his tracks.

His eyes had caught a familiar face on the opposite sidewalk. The person had quickly blended into the walking crowd but the boy was sure that he didn't just imagine seeing him—he had caught the reflection of his glasses and recognized the unmistakable, fanned out style of his brown hair. He was sure that he had just seen…

"Tezuka-_buchou_…"

* * *

Seven minutes passed and there were still no signs of Kirihara, Hiyoshi, nor the two men in black who she had seen enter the sports shop a couple of minutes after Kirihara did.

Sakuno swallowed down the bile that rose in her throat and tried not to think pessimistically of the situation. Otherwise, she would have a panic attack. The burning feeling that threatened to consume her whole body was not helping her situation at all. She wished she could get out of the shop and check on her friends.

Banishing the thought, she remained true to her promise to Kirihara and stayed inside the restaurant like an obedient child. She would've been able to keep her promise to the junior ace if a commotion didn't happen right in front of the Chinese restaurant windows, through which she was looking at.

There were loud _honks_ and screeching breaks from cars as a teenage boy apparently crossed the street while cars were passing through. It took a lot of swerving and breaking, but miraculously, the cars were able to avoid hitting the boy.

She froze on her spot when she recognized the identity of the "crazy" boy who unthinkingly crossed the street. His black-green hair and alert yellow eyes were so familiar to her that she was able to recognize him even if he only passed by the restaurant window in a hurry.

Cold dread soon followed her shock when she saw another person follow the boy—another man in a black coat and an overly huge hat.

* * *

Ryoma ignored the curses, stares, and mutterings of people as he pushed through them in the crowded street. He was too intent in looking for the person he thought he saw just a second ago. The prince was utterly dismayed that he wasn't able to find any traces of him around the place.

Still, he stubbornly pushed through, glancing left and right for his captain. He was too busy running around and searching the place that he wasn't aware when and how he reached a deserted part of the city.

And then, his alert ears caught the sound of something very familiar to him. It was a sound that he has been hearing almost all his life—the sound of a tennis ball hitting something hard before it fell to the ground in a couple of bounces. He stood still and tried to listen to where it came from. So intent was he in listening to that particular sound that he failed to sense the presence of someone slowly approaching him.

* * *

She prayed to all gods that her friends were all safe.

Right after she saw Ryoma and the man following him, she had bolted out of the restaurant, not even caring when one of the servers shouted at her, telling her that her orders weren't ready yet.

Night had already fallen in the city and the lights all around her were making her dizzy. Still, she continued on her way, not knowing where she was heading. She basically let her instincts tell her feet where to go.

By the time she reached a shadier area of the city, she was already panting heavily, fighting hard to remain conscious. The brunette felt a pang of guilt in her chest when she realized she had broken her promise to Kirihara. It just wasn't feasible for her to stay put in that place anymore. Call it a woman's instinct, but something inside of her kept telling her that something bad was about to happen. And that was what she was afraid of.

Glancing around her, she soon spotted an overpass that overlooked quite a few streets and buildings of the city. Knowing she can have a better view of the area on that place, she made her way towards it.

As Sakuno leaned against the overpass railing for support, she finally saw him—the boy who had broken her heart merely hours ago. He was standing in the shadows of the buildings near her. From her view up on the overpass, she only saw a side view of him but she noticed that he had an alert expression on his face.

She was able to breathe for a few seconds but the relief of seeing him safe and sound quickly disappeared when she noticed another person approaching him from behind.

It was a figure clad in all black. He was holding something metallic that glinted in the faint light provided by the lamp post in the area. Her eyes widened in fear when she recognized the object—it was a gun!

Everything felt suddenly familiar to her. She had seen a similar situation in one of her nightmares ages ago.

And then she remembered all the details of that particular nightmare.

_Ryoma dying…_

_Her inability to do anything as she watched blood seep into his shirt…_

_The agony…_

Everything slowed down for her from that moment and before she can think further, she was already screaming his name in a poor attempt to alert him of the creeper.

"Ryoma-kun,_ abunai_!"

She saw both of them tense and glance at her in response to her sudden yell. But then, the black figure quickly shifted and pointed the gun towards her direction.

Unable to keep up with the stress of the situation, her knees finally gave in and she blacked out while hearing the sharp sound of a gunshot.

* * *

Kirihara and Hiyoshi were in the middle of binding the arms and legs of their stalkers using the ropes Hiyoshi had purchased when the gunshot disturbed their concentration.

They shared a look of alarm, both thinking that something had happened to the girl they left behind.

"Sa-chan…" the junior ace muttered unconsciously, feeling his heart pounding with vicious dread.

Without another word to Hiyoshi, the junior ace suddenly left his spot, and bolted towards the direction of the shot.

* * *

Sakuno's voice had simultaneously disrupted Ryoma's concentration and alerted his senses to everything around him at once. He was suddenly able to feel the presence behind him and as soon as he whipped around to look at the guy, his eyes caught sight of the hand that was pointing the gun at Sakuno's direction.

His yellow eyes hardened in cold anger and in a swift movement, his fist flew into the guy's face. The man had managed to squeeze the trigger of the gun before his attack, however. The only relief Ryoma got from that action was hearing the sound of the bullet hitting something metallic, which told him that he had completely missed Sakuno.

As soon as the man's grip on the gun weakened since he started to nurse his bloody nose, Ryoma's hand snatched the weapon from him.

When the guy turned back to glare at Ryoma, the prince was already pointing the gun at him.

The man stared at the tennis player with unveiled hatred in his eyes. Then out of nowhere, the reality of the situation suddenly hit him.

He let out a sinister laugh.

"You dare to point a gun at me?" his raspy voice asked, mockingly. His visible face was unfamiliar to Ryoma, which confirmed the fact that this was not the same villain who had been torturing their lives for the past few weeks. He was most likely just an accomplice.

"A mere _kid_ pointing a gun at me," he muttered to himself, still in an incredulous tone, "Hahah, what are you 17? 18? Do you even _know_ how to use a gun?"

His insults didn't illicit any sort of response from Ryoma. The man felt more irritated when the boy just stared at him with calm, apathetic eyes. That was until the prince's eyes suddenly shifted to the right, intending to check on the brunette for a second.

It was quick and the boy's cat-like eyes were back on him in no time. But he saw it as an opening. He instantly knew that he can use the girl to break through the boy's control.

"Better check on your girlfriend before one of my two accomplices finds her. You never know what they would _do_ to someone as _pretty_ as her."

The man smirked in triumph when he saw a deadly shift in Ryoma's eyes. He had hit the jackpot.

"_Yes_ss," he drawled in a perverted manner, intending to upset the prince even more. "I bet she's still a v—"

He didn't get to finish his sentence as something blunt had hit his shoulder and he suddenly felt himself losing consciousness. Glancing back up at the brat in front of him, he belatedly recognized that the boy had hit him hard using the gun's handle. He had never seen anyone move _that fast_ in his life before.

"You talk too much," were Ryoma's cold words to him before he finally passed out into a useless heap in front of the tennis prodigy.

Once the prince was sure that the man wasn't going to regain consciousness anytime soon, he quickly turned around and made his way towards Sakuno.

* * *

Yagyuu sent a glance at his doubles partner as they walked back into the cave where they had found the bomb waiting for them.

He and Niou had just come from the main town, where they met up with a couple of doubles players, in order to relay instructions to them about what to do when they find the bomb that contains the next riddle. They had called three of the best doubles players their generation has to offer—Oishi and Eiji, Shishido and Choutarou, and of course, Kenya and Zaizen.

The trickster wanted to minimize the number of people he needed to involve in this risky affair. A representative from each team felt fair enough to him. He'll just leave it to fate as to which doubles partner would find the next bomb.

When they had proposed the situation to the other doubles players, their reactions were similar to Yagyuu's when he first heard about the necessity of sacrificing lives. There had been shock, denial, frustration, then eventually, somber acceptance. Niou thought that they had all acted nobly, considering the fact that he was basically asking them to give up their lives.

But then again, he had expected them to cooperate, despite of everything else. He had that much faith in the characters of his tennis rivals.

Niou purposely did not mention that he and Yagyuu had already found the second bomb, and were willing "to go" first. Knowing how selfless the others can be, he knew that they would fight for the opportunity to go first, not because they are that suicidal, but rather because they wanted to ensure that if any lives were to be taken, they'd rather it be theirs than someone else's.

Yagyuu had respected that decision of Niou and actually gained more admiration for the trickster because of it. Looking back at the times he had spent with his partner, he felt blessed for being given the chance to get to know an incredibly wonderful—and crafty, he _can't_ forget crafty—person like Niou during his lifetime.

He suddenly felt regretful that he won't be able to see how the trickster would turn out ten years from now—when he will be considered a full-grown man. Would he be a professional tennis player? Would he establish his own joke shop like he always said he would? Would he be a wonderful husband and a fun father to his children?

Yagyuu smiled.

Yes, he could have and _would have_ been all those things if given the chance.

But apparently, fate had a different plan for both of them, and so, he must accept that. And honestly, he was glad that he was going to die with Niou. That, in itself, is already a great honor to him.

Yagyuu saw Niou pause when they were in front of the bomb again. It still sat waiting for them in front of the shrine temple.

The gentleman player was somewhat curious as to what could be inside Niou's backpack, which he apparently brought from the town a while ago. They had separated briefly because Niou had said that he wanted some time alone before they finish their business. When he met up with the trickster again, he already had the backpack. The trickster simply told him that it contained some of the most precious things to him and that he would want to die with them.

Thinking that it was a reasonable explanation, he left the question at that.

Niou crouched and examined the bomb one more time before he glanced at Yagyuu.

"You ready?" he asked with a smile. He made it seem like they weren't about to be ripped into pieces by the explosion of the bomb soon. But that's just like Niou, he thought to himself. He's always been a laid-back person, no matter what situation he was put in.

"As always," Yagyuu replied back evenly.

"You'll open the compartment and read the riddle to me while I type it in a text message and send it to our doubles rivals. Don't bother reading the 'two little monkeys…' part. We already know how the beginning goes. Just read the last phrase and whatever's after it."

Yagyuu nodded.

"I already set up the cellphone numbers to which we're going to send the riddle to. I'm pretty sure you're already well-aware of our time limit."

The glaring red number four on the bomb's LCD screen never looked more threatening to the gentleman player. Nevertheless, he sent his doubles partner another nod.

"Sweet. Before all of that, however, there's one last thing to be done. And for some reason, I feel like this will be more painful than feeling yourself literally ripped to shreds," he added a somber chuckle at the irony of that comment.

"And that is?" Yagyuu asked, imploring.

Niou stared at the bomb thoughtfully before he spoke.

"We have to say goodbye."

* * *

Rikkai Dai's _fukubuchou_ entered the tea house that was designated to be their meeting place. A few minutes ago, Yukimura had called and told him that someone had already found the object. The _buchou_ didn't say anything else but he asked Sanada to come to the tea house as soon as possible so they can discuss certain things with him.

Inside, he found Yukimura and Fuji seating on opposite sides of an ancient Japanese-style table. There were tea cups in front of them but neither seemed to have the desire to touch their beverage.

"Where are the others?" he asked them as he kneeled and took his place beside Yukimura.

"They'll be here soon," was Yukimura's quiet reply.

Sanada frowned. He was not liking the place's gloomy atmosphere at all. The stuffiness of the mood almost felt tangible to him.

"Who found the object? What are our next steps?"

There was a short pause before Fuji decided to answer.

"Sanada, we have decided to go to the dome to join Atobe and the others. The rest is out of our hands for now."

The opposition was discernable on the _fukubuchou_'s face at once. He saw no reason to forestall their mission to solve the riddles in order to rescue the hostages. Just as when he was about to question their decision, his phone rang. He excused himself and turned to the side in order to answer the call.

Yukimura and Fuji shared a grim look. They already know who the caller is.

They waited a few seconds of tensed anticipation before they heard Sanada verbally explode.

* * *

"Niou! That is unacceptable. I am _ordering_ you to abort that ridiculous plan and come back to our meeting place. _Now_," Sanada practically shouted to the phone. He was desperately trying to stay calm but knew that he was close to losing it. There was no way in hell that he is going to allow his teammate to go along with his suicidal plan.

The _fukubuchou_ only heard an easy chuckle from the other side of the line—something that is so typical of Niou.

"Since when have I been scared to disobey orders?" the trickster asked rhetorically.

Sanada was close to having a heart attack by that time.

"Niou—"

"Tell the _tensai_-_san_ from Seigaku that unfortunately, my plan did not work. But we did reach a compromise."

"—this is not funny—"

"We'll leave the rest to you."

"Niou, _please_."

He resorted to begging. The _**proud**_ _fukubuchou_ of Rikkai had just lowered his pride to beg his teammate not to go along with his plan.

There was a pause. And then, he heard Niou's easy chuckle again—most likely the last one he'll ever hear from the trickster.

"It's been fun, Sanada. _Arigatou_ for all those amusing memories."

"…"

"_Puri_."

There was a click.

And then a dial tone.

After a few seconds, all three players in the tea house heard a deafening explosion that came from the forest behind Oishi Yoshio's residence.

Sanada dropped his cellphone on the cold floor.

* * *

Kirihara suddenly faltered in his steps as he felt a sharp pang inside his chest. He frowned, not knowing what the heck the feeling was. It felt like he just lost something important to him and he had no idea what.

Attributing it to the possibility that something had happened to Sakuno, he quickly resumed his sprint. He was completely oblivious to the fact that the foreboding feeling he just felt had nothing to do with the brunette at all.

* * *

Meanwhile, on six cellphone screens, the same text message was successfully sent. In the message was the last phrase of the third riddle—along with something else.

"_**Find the cause of our lord's shame."**_

_**Expiration Time - 4:00 am.**_

- Niou Masaharu & Yagyuu Hiroshi

* * *

**Special Notes:**

The forest that housed the cave where the bomb resided is completely fictional. It is a real fact that Oishi Yoshio's residence can be found in Ako, Hyogo, however.

Props to whoever can guess the show that Niou referred to in this chapter. It is also a fact that I modeled the bomber's methods based on an episode of that particular show :3 I found it so ingenious and amusing that I just had to include it in the story.

Six cellphones had received Niou's text since he sent it to the doubles players he talked to prior to his sacrifice. Just wanted to clarify this so I don't confuse anyone.

**Author's Notes:**

Did I just kill one of my favorite characters of all time? I _am _horrible.

**Japanese Vocab:**

_Sou jya_ – that's right

_Abunai_ – it's dangerous; look-out

_Muga no kyouichi_– "state of self-actualization"


	40. Despair Part 1

**XL. Despair ~Part I~**

Shock and despair were written on the regulars' faces as they stared at the fallen debris of the cave from which they heard the huge explosion come from. A few minutes ago, they had all separated to check the perimeter of the area in hopes that they would find Niou and Yagyuu.

Their efforts proved futile. The Platinum pair was nowhere to be found.

Marui and Jackal had repeatedly called the cellphones of the two but only received "out of service" messages. There was only one probable explanation they could think of—one that they all refused to believe.

Though as difficult as it may be, they can't force themselves to completely ignore facts.

Eventually, they have to learn to accept that Niou and Yagyuu had really perished from the explosion in the cave. After all, as awesome as the two may be, they are only mortals. They can't magically escape out of a cave merely four seconds before it explodes.

Among the regulars, Sanada was the closest to the caved-in ruins. He was standing stiffly, his face frozen into a mask of disbelief as he gazed at the debris. His eyes had the haunted look of a man who was only seconds away from a mental breakdown.

The _fukubuchou_ was so out of it that he barely felt the hand that gently landed on his shoulder.

"There is nothing more to be done here. We should leave," was Yukimura's contrite words to Sanada. They had already alerted the police of the town as to what had happened. The rest was up to the police force.

Sanada didn't appear to hear Yukimura's words as he didn't make any sort of movement.

"Yukimura's right, there are other pressing matters that require our attention," Fuji quietly said behind them.

The _tensai_'s words snapped something within Sanada. Finally succumbing to the suppressed emotions that were boiling inside of him, he turned to Fuji and let out all of his frustration and anger on the Seigaku player.

"You!" Sanada hissed as he quickly gained on the _tensai_ and roughly grabbed the front of his jersey. "What did you ask him to do?" he yelled, shaking the Seigaku regular who did nothing to stop his attacks. "You knew this would happen, didn't you? You asked them to do this, you cold, unfeeling bastard—!"

"Sanada!" Yukimura yelled to stop the vice captain.

Sanada's fist froze a few centimeters away from Fuji's face. He was in the middle of striking the _tensai_ when Yukimura's voice snapped him out of his anger-driven attack.

"If this is how you choose to deal with the situation, then you're doing nothing but disgracing Niou and Yagyuu's sacrifice," the Rikkai _buchou_ reprimanded in a hard tone. His face didn't have the pleasantness that it often displays. "You, out of everyone, should know better than to let your emotions get the better of you. If you can't handle the stress, then by all means, you are hereby relieved from this mission."

That was all Yukimura said to the vice captain before he turned his back on him and started to walk away.

Hit hard by the _buchou_'s words, Sanada slowly released his grip on Fuji. Subdued and feeling ashamed, the _fukubuchou_ soon moved to follow the blue-haired captain. But before he left, he stopped to say a few words to the _tensai_.

"_Moushi wake arimasen_," Sanada mumbled quietly without looking directly at Fuji, "It won't happen again."

* * *

On a terrain that was situated a few meters from the cave, Shiraishi and Chitose had silently seen Sanada's outburst. Honestly, they couldn't blame the _fukubuchou_. If they were in his position, they would've most likely acted the same way too.

They knew that Sanada is far more attached to his teammates than Yukimura is. After all, the _fukubuchou_ was the one who had supervised and trained them every day. He had developed a closer connection to his team unlike Yukimura, who barely got the chance to spend time with them ever since his illness.

It was no wonder Sanada was more affected by the disaster than Yukimura appeared to be.

When Chitose saw the rest of the regulars starting to walk away from the fallen debris, he decided to move as well. But when he sensed that Shiraishi wasn't following him, he turned to his captain.

"_Yo_," he called, "shouldn't we go too?"

Shiraishi only glanced at his teammate from the corners of his eyes, but nodded otherwise. Satisfied by the simple answer, Chitose turned and started to walk away, leaving the Shitenhouji _buchou _alone at the terrain.

The perfect captain stared for a few more seconds at the debris and the left-over smoke that the explosion released into the air.

When he found what he was looking for, a small smirk graced his handsome face before he also turned and left the area.

* * *

_She opened her eyes only to see the familiar white-washed walls of the nurse's office. It seemed like she has been making a hobby of passing out and waking up in the bright room lately. She would surely hear a reprimand or two for this later on. But then again, she felt like she deserved it._

_Turning her head slightly to the right, she saw three colorful origamis sitting on top of her bed side table. Her eyes automatically moved to the familiar, odd-folding of the creations' wings. A comforting feeling started to spread around her chest at the sight of them. Their presence in the room could only mean one thing—he had come in the room to visit her!_

_The thought caused the fuzzy, warm feeling inside of her to exacerbate. And almost instantly, she felt better, though still a little light-headed._

_Not even a second later, the door in the room opened only to prove her hunch._

_Sakuno sat up and smiled expectantly at the person who quietly entered the room._

_"How do you feel?" he asked in his deep baritone even as his eyes quickly scanned her for any signs of distress. When he saw that she was alright, his tensed shoulders relaxed a bit._

_Feeling a bit giddy, Sakuno decided to push her luck and tease the stoic buchou a little, "Ano, I feel like…eating ice cream?" She bit her bottom lip at the end of her question to appear more innocent._

_A small grunt was all she received as a reply. She fondly noted that his sense of humor hasn't improved even one bit._

_"Kunimitsu-nii," she soon called when she remembered something, "Don't you have an important student council meeting today?" A guilty frown marred her angelic face as she stared at him, waiting for his reply. "Then you shouldn't be here. Gomen nasai, I had to be a burden to you again..."_

_Tezuka grabbed an empty glass from her bedside table and poured some water into it from the pitcher nearby. He soon took out a pill from its packaging and silently handed it to the brunette who was sitting on the bed._

_Sakuno took both items from the stoic captain, a little disappointed upon not getting any reply. She was a bit used to it, however. The girl knows that the buchou only answers whatever question he felt needed to be answered. He ignores the rest._

_"Something more important came up that required my immediate attention."_

_The brunette quickly glanced at him, startled by his words._

_'Something more important…?'_

_Does he mean her?_

_She blushed against her will but soon managed to smile fondly up at Tezuka._

_"Take the pill," Tezuka soon commanded, obviously wanting to change the subject. He was never comfortable showing open affection to any other person._

_"Haiiii," Sakuno happily said before popping the pill into her mouth like an obedient kid. She followed it up with a drink of water from the glass._

_When she was done, she turned back to Tezuka to hand him back the glass._

_"Here you go, Kuni—"_

_Her speech was cut short when a white handkerchief was roughly used to cover her mouth and she found herself being pressed against the bed railing. Her eyes widened in horror when she saw and felt what was pressed in the middle of her forehead—a gun!_

_She looked at her nii-san's eyes. A cruel and cold expression replaced the calmness that is usually displayed in there._

_"You don't think I'd find you, do you?" he asked in a robotic voice, the same voice that sent shivers up and down her spine every time she heard it._

_"Well, you thought wrong. You let your guard down again and this time, nothing—not even your unbelievable luck—can save you."_

_He chuckled maniacally, something that was so uncharacteristic of him. She moaned her protest against the cloth pressed against her mouth and tried to shake her head in fear. But her protests did nothing to weaken his resolve and he only pressed the gun harder against her forehead._

_With one last wicked grin, he whispered his last words to her, "Sayonara, Sakuno."_

_**BANG.**_

* * *

She screamed and thrashed wildly once she became aware of two powerful arms restraining her body. Her face was pressed against something hard and she distantly heard a familiar voice trying to calm her down.

"…Sa-chan, it's okay, I'm here. I won't let anything happen to you…It's okay, shhh, it's okay…"

Gradually, she felt herself calming down as she recognized the presence of the person.

It was Kirihara and she soon just settled to wrap her arms tightly around him, as if scared that she'll get taken away.

"Ow, ow, that kinda hurts, Sa-chan. A little too tight there," he lightly protested making her instantly release her firm grip on him.

Nevertheless, the junior ace didn't let go of her as well. He still protectively held her in his arms even as he raised a hand to gently ruffle her hair.

"Nasty nightmare?" he asked.

Sakuno could only nod against his chest. It was indeed a horrible nightmare.

"Darn it, remind me to have a talk with the boogeyman and the sandman the next time I see them."

Upon hearing his lame joke, a small smile ghosted her lips that didn't quite reach her eyes. Finally able to completely calm down, she slowly disentangled herself from him while her eyes roamed around their surroundings. She realized that both she and Kirihara were sitting on top of a low-rise bed that had thin mattress. There was barely anything in the room except for the closet at the corner. Based on the sliding paper doors of the closet and the main door of the room, she deduced that they were in some sort of_ dojo_ or traditional house.

As if reading what was on her mind, Kirihara answered her silent question, "We're in a crappy traditional inn that Hiyoshi temporarily rented. He said we can't afford to go to one of those fancy ones—even though he can obviously afford to rent them—since we'd 'attract' more attention."

She heard Kirihara sigh before he whispered what sounded like "arrogant bastard" to her.

Sakuno frowned, trying to remember how they got there. The last thing she remembered was…

"_He_'s fine," Kirihara blurted out, once again beating her to her inquiries about Ryoma's safety. He scowled but continued to explain, "When Hiyoshi and I were tying up the crooks who were following us, we heard the gunshot. We thought something had happened to you so I rushed to the area where the gunshot came from and what do I find? That bastard crouched in front of you while you were passed out on the ground. I swear I almost beat up his arrogant ass right there and then if only I wasn't worried about you. You were burning like a furnace so I called up Hiyoshi and we rushed you to this inn."

The junior ace turned to face her and his eyes softened in worry. "That reminds me…how are you feeling, Sa-chan?" he said as he inched closer to feel her forehead using the back of his hand. Her heart automatically started beating faster once she realized how close he was to her.

"I'm…okay."

"Not," Kirihara disagreed. "You're still running a high fever and did you get hurt? There's blood sipping from your jacket sleeves!"

She glanced down and indeed saw a dark red spot on her shoulder. She realized in dismay that her shoulder wound started bleeding again and had already bled through her bandages. She would have to rebandage it secretly later on.

"Let me check!" Kirihara said unthinkingly and started to grab her jacket while she self-consciously moved away from him.

"_A-ano_, I think I'm fine on my own, Akaya-kun, I really—"

"Are you two decent?" a voice coming from outside the room asked loudly, effectively disrupting the two from their current conversation. They soon heard footsteps in the hallway coming closer to the room they were currently in.

Kirihara blushed as he realized the implication of the other second year's question. "O-Of course, we're decent! What the hell is that supposed to mean?" he challenged back.

And then, the sliding door finally opened.

They saw the confident form of Hiyoshi, looking at them curiously. Behind the Hyoutei regular was…

'Ryoma-kun…' Sakuno clutched the hem of her jacket in nervous anxiety upon seeing the prince again. She noted with an ache in her heart that he didn't even look at her…or Kirihara. In fact, Ryoma avoided eye contact with both of them even as he and Hiyoshi entered the room.

"So, what's the news?" Kirihara soon asked. For Sakuno's benefit, he added, "You guys went to drop off those three crooks at the police station, right? What did you learn when you interrogated them?"

"Nothing useful. They were given orders to watch Tezuka-san's house and then to follow any tennis player who visits the place. A picture of all the regulars who attended the National tournament from three years ago was given to them for reference."

Kirihara frowned, "Then explain to me how the heck they landed here in Kyoto when we didn't even visit his house."

"We didn't, but these two did," Hiyoshi replied pertaining to Sakuno and Ryoma, "Those paid hooligans followed them to the hospital, and then followed Echizen until they lost him at the Tokyo Train Station. They said they overheard the girl talking about Echizen planning to visit Kyoto so they decided to test their luck and wait for them at the Kyoto station. They didn't see Echizen but they saw _her_ and us so they decided to follow us instead. Then you know the rest."

"That's it?" the junior ace asked, disappointed that they didn't learn anything that might be useful to their investigation.

Hiyoshi closed his eyes and took a deep breath before he answered. "There are two important things that we learned from this little 'adventure.' One is that Tezuka-san is, or atleast _was,_ here in Kyoto. Echizen spotted him earlier near the Kyoto station."

Sakuno's eyes widened upon that revelation though Hiyoshi didn't allow her to interrupt him.

"Two, Tezuka-san doesn't know that we are also here...or at least _not yet_. The hooligans weren't able to inform him that Echizen and the girl visited his house nor were they able to mention the fact that they followed us here in Kyoto. They failed to contact him since he apparently wasn't answering any of their calls."

Kirihara's green eyes suddenly widened in alert and excitement. "Then that means—"

"We have the upper hand," Hiyoshi finished for him, also smirking. "Tezuka-san obviously had business here in Kyoto and we can figure out what that was without alerting him that we're onto him. Not to mention, we have a pretty accurate guess as to which place he visited here in Kyoto." The Hyoutei player held out the piece of paper containing the address of the previous residence of Tezuka's uncle for emphasis.

"Sweet, then what are we waiting for?" the junior ace asked, obviously pumped with excitement.

"We can't take her in her current condition. You _shouldn't _have brought her here," Ryoma said apathetically, speaking for the first time. He was staring disinterestedly at the door, both of his hands inside his pants' pockets, though his yellow eyes were somehow darker than their usual color.

Sakuno self-consciously looked down and tried not to be hurt by his sharp words.

Kirihara growled and stoop up to defend the brunette.

"Do you even listen to yourself when you talk? Damn it, why don't you get a clue for once, you ass—"

"He's right," Hiyoshi calmly interrupted his fellow second year.

The junior ace turned to hiss at him but then grudgingly admitted that they have a point. Sakuno still has a high fever. Plus, that blood on her jacket sleeve still bothers him.

"We have two options for now," Hiyoshi spoke to break the tense atmosphere, "One of us can take her home to Tokyo while the two continue the investigation. _Or_, we can take her with us and just suffer the extra burden."

Sakuno frowned at the second year's wording of the second option and tried to speak up for herself. "I'll…I'll try not to be a burden, so please take me with you."

"Please…" Sakuno looked at Ryoma, who still had his head turned away from her. Then at Hiyoshi, who was also looking somewhere else. And then, finally, at Kirihara…

There was pained indecision in the junior ace's eyes that just hurt her. It was as if he was suffering because he knew he probably couldn't give what she was asking of him. He knew that it would be better to just take her home to Tokyo, but then he was also well-aware of how important the mission is to her. After all, she's just as involved in this mess as they are.

"I…want to help. Kunimitsu-_nii_ is also very important to me, so please…" she continued to plead, despite of everything. Her impressive will was most likely the only force that's keeping her conscious since her frail body was obviously giving in to the prolonged stress it's continuously subjected under.

Ryoma started to head towards the sliding doors of the room. The way she was pleading was making him feel all weird inside. He hated to hear her suffering like that.

"Four hours," the prince mumbled as he paused at the doorway, surprising both Hiyoshi and Kirihara.

"We can use four hours of rest, then we can continue on with the investigation," Ryoma continued.

Hiyoshi raised a brow, though he saw the logic behind the boy's reasoning. They could really use a break to get something to eat and then rest for a bit. It was already 8:30 pm and they were all dead tired. The girl obviously needs all the rest she can get, if they were to take her with them. And based on the first year prodigy's last words, it seems like they are going to take the girl.

It seemed odd to the Hyoutei player how soft Echizen can be when it came to the girl. Not to mention, how foolish. He was almost as bad as Kirihara. Unlike the two players, Hiyoshi had no whatsoever attachment to the girl and can clearly say that she's only going to be a burden.

"That's okay with me," Kirihara proclaimed, grudgingly thankful to the arrogant boy for proposing such a smart and _considerate_ plan.

Since he was obviously outnumbered, Hiyoshi just shrugged and then also turned to exit the room, but not before mumbling,

"Four hours it is, then."

* * *

"What are those?" Yukimura asked, looking at the numerous pins and complimentary red and black jerseys that Sengoku held in two separate bags when he met the newly-arrived regulars in front of the dome where the tournament was going to be held.

They found out that the Fudomine, St. Rudolph, and Yamabuki regulars had already joined the rest of them inside.

"_Aryaarya_, don't you recognize it? It's a replica of the National Tournament pin that was given to us three years ago." They saw the orange-haired boy shrug before continuing his explanation. "When Atobe-kun and the rest of us returned here for the second time, one of his agents handed these bags to us and another letter. It was stated in the letter that these pins are to be used as identification badges when coming inside and outside any of the facilities inside the dome. The rest of us already have it pinned on our shirts," Sengoku finished while pointing to the pin on his own jersey.

Fuji, who was beside Yukimura, stared at the new items curiously. To think that Tezuka was able to tamper with the advanced identification system of the dome indicated that the Seigaku captain recently hacked into the dome's security system. If he was able to do that, then who knows what else he's capable of doing…?

"Did you guys find anything changed in the dome when you got here for the second time?" the _tensai_ couldn't help but ask.

"Nope, nothing aside from these two bags and the letter. The dome is still not rigged as far as we can tell."

"Wow, that guy is so melodramatic," Bunta mumbled sarcastically before he finally took a jacket and a pin from Sengoku. He flashed the pin in front of the scanner at the dome gate, and after hearing a beep, he went inside without another word.

The rest of the tennis players soon followed his actions before they also entered the dome. All aside from Shiraishi, Chitose, and Fuji, that is. They remained behind the others, and still stood in front of the dome gates.

Chitose sent a covert smile to his captain. "My insight tells me that you don't want to go in yet?"

Shiraishi smiled back in return, "_Soya_, with many geniuses already inside the dome, I think I can afford to be absent for a while. My presence won't be missed anyway."

With an easy shrug, Chitose easily proclaimed: "I'll come with you."

The perfect captain nodded approvingly before he looked at Fuji . Something passed between them for a few moments. Soon, the _tensai_ gave him an understanding nod before Fuji took a pin himself and a jacket, and then entered the dome.

"We'll be back to check in later," Shiraishi informed Sengoku with a wave before he finally left with Chitose.

* * *

Ryoma was silently walking along the hallway of the inn they rented.

An hour had passed since they decided that they would rest for four hours before continuing the investigation. After giving Sakuno some medicine, they had left her so she can sleep and rest inside her room. Hiyoshi was currently out buying some food and supplies for them. As for the junior ace, well, he couldn't care less about his whereabouts. They both couldn't stand to be alone in the same room for more than five minutes so they tried to avoid each other.

The prince soon noticed that the sliding door of the room, in which they allowed Sakuno to rest in, was partly opened. Against his will, he found himself pausing at the doorway in order to check on how the brunette was doing.

He was instantly calmed just by seeing the slow rise and fall of her chest as she laid on top of the bed. Her angelic face was turned to him as she continued her peaceful slumber.

Before long, Ryoma saw her face get bothered as she slightly shivered from the cold. His right hand clenched unconsciously, urging his body to do something for the girl.

Old habits die hard and when it comes to the girl, he can barely control what his instincts order his body to do.

It was hard but he was finally able to force himself to look away from her form. He had hurt her enough for the day, he decided.

And with that thought, the prince continued on his way along the empty corridor of the inn.

* * *

The feeling was very gentle and faint, but Sakuno was able to detect it. Someone had put two sheets of blanket over her body, before they tried to sneak away from the room, undetected.

She slowly opened her eyes and wasn't prepared by whose back she saw moving towards the door. Before he can leave, she called out to him.

"R-Ryoma-kun…"

She saw the boy's form stiffen upon hearing his name called.

* * *

Ryoma mentally cursed upon hearing her call his name.

She wasn't supposed to wake up, damn it. How the heck is he supposed to explain his actions now? He didn't even know what possessed him to do what he did.

He was about to just continue walking out of the room and pretend he didn't hear her when she spoke again.

"_Ano_…I've been thinking," she started softly, her voice weakened by her current condition. "I've been thinking about how selfish I've been."

'Selfish? What the heck?' he thought incredulously. Leave it to her to somehow turn the tables and make the situation all her fault.

"All this time, I've been trying to push myself into Ryoma-kun's life, without thinking about your feelings and what you really want," she spoke gently to the prodigy's back, as he still refused to face her.

"And I've finally come to realize that, perhaps, the best thing I can do for you is to let you be. I won't hold you back anymore by bothering you with nonsense feelings. So…so once this is over, I promise I'll try to stay away. It's time that I also think about your happiness and—"

"_Chigau_," Ryoma uttered in a strained tone, finally interrupting her. He clenched his fist and resisted the urge to approach her, because once he does, he knows he won't be able to control himself.

"You have no idea what I _really_ want," he whispered in a low voice.

Sakuno frowned not getting the meaning of his words at all, "_Demo_—"

_**SLAM**_**.**

Both the tennis prodigy and the brunette were surprised by the sudden slamming of the sliding door. Unlike its previous partly-open state, it was now fully opened. Standing on the doorway was Kirihara Akaya. And boy did he look _pissed_.

"_Sorry _to interrupt," the junior ace uttered, sounding not apologetic at all. He walked past Ryoma and carried the water bottle and packet of medicine he held to Sakuno.

Wordlessly, he took the pill out of the packaging and gave it to the brunette. "Yo, sleepy face. How are you feeling?" He smiled a fake smile that Sakuno recognized all too well. Even if she asks, however, he knew he wasn't in the mood to entertain her questions. There was something that he needs to do after he gives her the medicine—something that he has been itching to do for a _very_ long time.

"A bit…better," Sakuno answered as she smiled unsurely up at him.

The junior ace helped her sit up and assisted her in taking the medicine. He soon felt Ryoma leaving the room without another word to either of them.

* * *

"You guys weren't able to find it?" Fuji asked, perplexed.

"Honestly, Fujiko! We've been searching for three long hours and we didn't find any suspicious objects around any of the temples here in Chiyoda. Trust me, Oishi and I looked everywhere!"

The _tensai_ was quiet for a bit. The remaining doubles team—composed of Eiji and Oishi, Shishido and Choutarou, and Kenya and Zaizen—have all informed them that they weren't able to find the next bomb containing the riddle in any of the temples in Chiyoda, Tokyo.

It didn't make any sense, since they were all certain that the next bomb would be located around that place, granted that the "cause of [the 47 samurais'] lord's shame" happened at Edo Castle, wherein the _samurais_' lord attacked another official.

Unless there's something in the riddle that they were missing…

"I'll call you again, Eiji. Meanwhile, continue searching anyway," Fuji instructed over the phone. He heard Eiji whine a complaint but grunt a cheerless "okay" before he hanged up.

Fuji then proceeded to sit back at the meeting table in one of the "office" rooms inside the dome. Granted that it was a dome owned by the Atobes', the place was as luxurious and spacious as it can be.

Gathered around the meeting table with the _tensai__, _were Oshitari, Inui, Yanagi, Yukimura, and Tachibana. The rest of the tennis players were either lounging in their own designated team rooms or warming up at the lighted-up tennis courts in the center of the dome. They were all feeling restless, even if it was that late at night.

"You think we should send more people to help them search?" Tachibana suggested.

"That's not possible anymore," said a new voice from the doorway of the room. Atobe came in, his face looking paler and more serious than they've ever seen it to be.

"Meaning?" Oshitari asked, raising a brow at the wealthy teenager.

"I've just received a text directly from Tezuka." His words had the effect of shocking the players in the room. "He specifically dictated that anyone who has already entered the dome is _not_ allowed to leave it. Otherwise, he wouldn't hesitate to detonate the remaining bombs he set up in certain places."

Everyone in the room was frozen in horror at his words.

Did that basically mean they were now all trapped inside?

"How is he going to keep track of who goes in and out of the dome?" Yanagi asked skeptically.

"Cameras," Atobe answered, brushing off the question as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "There are built-in cameras that were already installed in the dome and there is no doubt that he uses them to keep track of our movements. After all, he has already proven that he can easily hack into our system."

Atobe closed his eyes in disappointment. "That's not all," he warned. "He demands that all the regulars listed in this schedule of matches he recently sent us be inside the dome by 4 am or else there will be a greater price to pay."

Now, that was just plain ridiculous, they all thought. He already knows that they've lost some regulars because of _his_ own doing. How does he expect people to be inside the dome if he had already "disposed" of them?

"Can I see that schedule of matches?" Inui finally asked. Atobe gave him the papers and the regulars in the room were all silent as they allowed the data man to look over the list. Yanagi had moved closer to Inui so he can also analyze the schedule.

"As expected," Inui mumbled after a few seconds of combing through the schedule.

"What is it?" Fuji asked.

"Akutsu Jin, Echizen Ryoma, Akaya, Niou, and Yagyuu are not listed in this list at all. Everyone else's names are in here, however." It was Yanagi who answered that time.

"_N-nanya?_" Oshitari muttered, incredulously. The absence of Akutsu, Kirihara, and Ryoma were all understandable since they had all been hospitalized before the tournament challenge. But how was he able to predict that Niou and Yagyuu wouldn't be able to attend the tournament as well? Unless…

"When was this schedule sent?" Oshitari followed up.

"About ten minutes ago. It was sent at the same time I received _his_ text message," Atobe answered.

"That confirms it," Yukimura somberly murmured.

Tachibana nodded at him.

"He's been watching us all this time."

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

The next chapter is already written and just waiting to be uploaded. It might be up in a few hours :3

**Japanese Vocab:**

_Chigau_ – You're wrong; that's not right

_Moushi wake arimasen_ – I apologize; It's inexcusable


	41. Despair Part 2

**XLI. Despair ~Part II~**

Ryoma sensed, more than felt, the sudden attack on him. He was in the "kitchen" section of the inn they rented when he felt somebody quickly approaching him.

Before he can properly react, he found the slightly taller Rikkai player grabbing his jersey, and his green eyes glaring furiously down at him. For a split second, the prince could've sworn he saw tell-tale signs of red in his eyes.

"I can tolerate a hell lot of annoying things about you because I know what you frigging mean to her, you useless bastard! But what I _won_'t _effing_ tolerate is you playing with her feelings. I'm not going to let you hurt her anymore, you understand? And if the only way I can drill that concept into your arrogant mind is by literally pounding it into your head, then it'll be my frigging pleasure!" He grabbed the boy by his shirt and slammed him against the nearest wall.

Kirihara tried to whisper his words so Sakuno wouldn't hear their conversation, but heck, he's already having a hard time controlling his anger.

The nerve of this guy. First abandoning her, then suddenly saying that he doesn't want her to forget about him. Kirihara shut his eyes in frustration and shouted.

"Damn you! If you didn't exist…If you never existed, then Sa-chan would be happy! Then I would be happy!" He punctuated his words with hard slams of the boy against the wall.

Ryoma glared back at him. He normally doesn't allow things to upset him, but when it comes to this guy, he gets easily pissed off. Not to mention the fact that he was currently slamming him against the wall. With as much control as he can, he calmly gritted out, "My relationship with her is none of your business, Kirihara-_san._" He emphasized the honorary suffix sarcastically. "Now remove your hand before I decide to remove it _myself_." His words were simple, but the hidden threat in them spoke for itself.

"Heh, you can _try_." Kirihara grinned challengingly.

Before anything can happen, they both heard the opening of another sliding door. The two prodigies turned to see Hiyoshi, who was sending them an annoyed look. In his hands were two tennis rackets and a case containing three tennis balls. He threw a racket to each of them, which they caught curiously, and then finally threw the balls to Kirihara.

"Go out and relieve some stress," the Hyoutei player barked at them. "I'm not going to work with frustrated idiots who can't think straight."

And with those words, he shut the sliding door again, leaving the two on their own.

* * *

It was at least forty-five minutes later when he heard movements outside the hall again. Curious, Hiyoshi opened the door of his room and glanced out.

Kirihara was the first to come back to the inn. He was holding a bruised jaw and blood was running down to his cheek from a cut below his left eye. The junior ace merely glared at Hiyoshi as he passed by him on the hallway. Well, at least he seemed calmer now.

Ryoma appeared about a minute later. One of his hands was covering the lower part of his face, which appeared to be bloody. His hair was messy and he still appeared to be in a bad mood. Like Kirihara, his injuries didn't look too serious either. The freshman completely ignored the Hyoutei player as he walked along the hallway into his own designated room.

'Whatever happened to my suggestion of them playing tennis to blow off some steam?' Hiyoshi somewhat wondered. Although, honestly, he had expected some sort of physical fight to ignite between the two. He just gave them tennis rackets to at least divert some of their anger from each other.

"Idiots," Hiyoshi mumbled, knowing fully well that they both will be alright by the time they have to leave the inn. He trusted them to have at least some sense to wash up before then to avoid frightening the girl with them.

Unbeknownst to the second year Hyoutei player, his plan did work. Ryoma and Kirihara did have a heated tennis match against each other at an abandoned tennis courtyard somewhere in the area. However, some time during their match, Kirihara had snapped and crossed the net, feeling the need to directly relieve his stress.

He didn't get away with his attack scratch-free, but he did get one gratifying thing out of the petty fist fight.

The junior ace fulfilled his promise to Sakuno.

He _did_ break Ryoma's face. Well, at least some part of it.

* * *

It was already 1:30 am. Only two and a half hours before the proclaimed "expiration time" of the riddle. There was still no word that any of the doubles pairs who were out looking for the bomb had found what they had been looking for.

Fuji was staring at the third riddle on his cell phone screen. Eiji had forwarded it to him a few hours ago. Something about it was bothering him—something that was different from the first two riddles. Maybe that was what they were missing.

"_**Find the cause of our lord's shame."**_

_**Expiration Time - 4:00 am.**_

Oshitari, who was the only person in the room who had stayed with him, eyed the _tensai_. He knew exactly what Fuji was thinking about.

The rest of their comrades were looking for a way to "cover up" for the missing regulars in the dome. They figured that they can ask a few more members from their tennis teams—although they were not officially regulars—to serve as temporary replacements for the members who aren't able to attend the tournament, like Hiyoshi and the doubles teams who were sent to look for the riddles.

Although they felt guilty for risking more lives in the tournament, they figured it was for the best, considering the gravity of the situation.

"_Seya naa_. Don't you think it's odd that he didn't specifically mention the number 47 in this riddle?" Oshitari suddenly commented. "Probably because it doesn't fit in this one," the Hyoutei regular added somewhat jokingly.

Fuji suddenly froze as something in Oshitari's words triggered a train of thought inside his brain. By all means, Oshitari is right. There was no indication that the riddle was still pertaining to the story of the 47 _samurais_. It is unlikely that Niou and Yagyuu just forgot to put it in the riddle. They wouldn't omit something as crucial as that. If so, then, that means it isn't there for a reason.

If that's the case what could the riddle be pertaining to? Who is the "lord" in the riddle?

The blue-haired regular had soon followed Fuji's train of thought and started brainstorming. "Lord…" he mumbled. "Lord can pertain to a head, to a master, to a leader… like a captain."

"Captain," Fuji repeated urgently. He was definitely on to something. "Something like a tennis captain…"

But they still drew a blank on how that connected to anything.

"We can't just forget the importance of the story of _The 47 Samurais_," Oshitari cautioned. "He obviously adored that tale since he went to all the trouble of making riddles out of it."

Fuji nodded, silently agreeing.

"It's probably because he can relate to the 'avenging' theme of the story. After all, from what Echizen told me, his father had discovered that Tezuka was—" The _tensai_ suddenly paused from rambling. His blue eyes snapped open when he finally realized what the riddle truly meant.

He glanced at Oshitari who was staring at him expectantly.

"Kenji Yamamoto…" Fuji said in an amazed tone.

Yes, Kenji was most likely the "lord" that the riddle was referring to. If so, then the most probable shame that Fuji can actually relate to Kenji was the news that he had drunkenly fallen to his death at the _Tanabata_ festival—a news that they now learned to be false.

That darn _Tanabata_ festival again. They always somehow come back to it.

Wait, that was held on a temple!

Not wasting another second, Fuji grabbed his cellphone and texted the same message to six cellphone screens. Following Niou's initial plan, he also left it to chance as to which doubles team would find the next bomb first.

Ignoring the creeping guilt in his gut at the thought of more sacrifices, he continued on his plan.

_The show must go on, no matter what._

* * *

The three young regulars and Sakuno have resumed their investigative mission about an hour ago. Sakuno felt way better after the few hours of rest that she got. She noticed the extra bruises and bandages on Kirihara's and Ryoma's faces but somehow sensed that they didn't want to talk about it. Kirihara seemed to be back to his naturally cheery mood so Sakuno didn't find a reason to complain much. As for Ryoma, well, he was also back to his apathetic self and acted like nothing had happened.

The group had been walking towards their destination, enveloped by the night's darkness along a deserted street when a disturbing message was sent to the three regulars' phones.

It came from different people—Kirihara received his from Yanagi, Ryoma received his from Inui, while Hiyoshi had gotten it from Oshitari—but they all received the same basic message, something that said:

"_**From this point on, it'll be wiser not to contact us. We leave the success of your mission to you. Be careful."**_

They all had a bad feeling about it. However, they have no choice but to do as they were told. At this point, they can only hold on to the _faith_ and _trust_ they have on their teammates.

As for now, the small group was resting in the dark forest in Kyoto. Kirihara was leaning against a tree with Sakuno beside him. Hiyoshi sat opposite them, while Ryoma sat to his left.

Apparently, the address written on the paper pointed to somewhere near the end of the current forest they were in. Not wanting to catch attention by starting a fire, they just relied on the flashlights that Hiyoshi had purchased to light their surroundings.

"What do you think was he actually doing here?" Kirihara suddenly asked, breaking the silence in the group. "Shouldn't he be in Tokyo and preparing for the tournament he asked for?" the junior ace followed up referring to Tezuka's presence in Kyoto.

"That has been bugging me as well," Hiyoshi uttered. "But then again, that was what we were sent here for—to investigate what he's up to. Come to think of it, you were personally held captive by him for a while. Did you find out anything about him during that time that can be useful to us?" the _Gekokujou _player inquired curiously.

Sakuno felt Kirihara physically tense upon the mention of his captivity. She saw his eyes automatically flash pain upon remembering such a horrible memory. "I don't…remember much. I was mostly delirious during that time," he added.

The brunette sent Hiyoshi a beseeching plea as to not to inquire more about the junior ace's experience. But the Hyoutei player either ignored her or just didn't catch her meaningful look.

"How helpful you are," Hiyoshi mumbled sarcastically.

Kirihara frowned and his green eyes glazed in agony as he tried to rack his brain for any information. "I don't really—wait, there is something…" the junior ace trailed off, instantly catching all of his companions' attention, even Ryoma's.

"What is it?" Hiyoshi prodded.

The junior ace bowed his head, his right hand on his temple as if nursing a splitting headache. "Colorful papers…yeah, colorful papers on the floor…tons of them—_origamis_…"

"_Origami_?" the Hyoutei player repeated with a raised brow.

The second years were completely unaware that the girl beside Kirihara had stiffened and that Ryoma had sent her a suspicious look when they mentioned the word.

"I know it's not useful but that's all I can remember while I was imprisoned. There were tons of them on the floor. And it was really weird…"

"Were they paper cranes?" Ryoma asked, finally speaking for the first time.

Kirihara nodded. "Obviously," he mumbled, "it's the most common _origami_ after all."

"Akaya-kun," Sakuno called urgently, gently tugging his right arm, "was there something odd about the cranes? Like the wings having an extra fold in their middle?"

Hiyoshi and Kirihara looked at her like she had grown another head. That was such an odd thing to ask, considering the situation.

But as she was breathlessly awaiting Kirihara's answer, the junior ace felt compelled to answer her.

"I don't know, I—I can't really remember, Sa-chan. I didn't really look at them…why?" he asked her in return. Her face had fallen upon hearing his answer and Kirihara somehow felt that it was his fault for disappointing her.

"It doesn't matter. It seems silly to put emphasis on mere _origamis_," Hiyoshi decided, finally getting up. "We better get going, time is of the essence in our case, and the sooner we get to the place, the sooner we can discover something that might help our teams."

* * *

"_Oiiiii_, Oishiiii, I see a humongous shed over here. Should we check?" Eiji called out to his doubles partner, waving his flashlight over his head. Despite of how long he had known the acrobat, Oishi still sometimes wonders how he finds the energy to remain cheerful at times like this. The vice captain was literally dead tired himself and the task that was assigned to them wasn't exactly a light one.

He preferred not to think about what will happen once they actually find the bomb and just concentrated on finding it first.

"I'll be there in a second."

Oishi abandoned his area and started to approach Eiji's location. He analyzed what his partner had found. It was a pretty big shed for its purpose and its position was quite far from the temple itself. They had already searched every inch of the temple a few minutes ago, and upon seeing no bomb, decided to search around its perimeter.

"_Yosh_, I shall open it now, _hoi hoi_!" Eiji uttered in his own language as he started to push against the hard door.

It let out a loud _creeeeek_ when it finally opened and in stepped Eiji, followed closely by Oishi.

They looked around with flashlights in their hands, and were surprised to find that it was actually more spacious inside than it looked from the outside. Scanning the area, Oishi noticed a closet in the far corner. He was on his way to examine it when Eiji beat him to the spot and opened the sliding door of the closet with a hard slam.

What they saw inside literally froze them in fear.

Eiji dropped his flashlight on the floor, and soon followed it to the ground. He was too shocked by the sight he found inside the closet.

Inside was the all-too-familiar rectangular structure of the bomb, with a red number "4" on its LED display. They had at least expected that much.

But the most horrifying thing was that there were additional long wires winding from the bomb to something else—or rather, _someone _else…

Oishi felt his throat automatically drying as he stared in horror at who he saw. The light of his flashlight only serving to clearly illuminate the bruised faces of the people.

A beaten-up Kabaji and Yuuta were tied up inside the closet right beside the bomb. All over their bodies were wires that connected them to the bomb itself—making them one with the device.

* * *

"This is it," Hiyoshi proclaimed as he illuminated a small portion of the structure ahead of them with his flashlight. "This is the place indicated in the address."

The three teenagers (with Sakuno on Kirihara's back) stood in front of a huge traditional temple located deep in the forest. From what they can see outside, the entire temple was immersed in total darkness, indicating that there was no one inside. Before the actual structure itself was a humongous courtyard that seemed too well-kept to have been abandoned for as long as it's supposed to have been.

Ryoma narrowed his eyes. Yes, this is the exact temple that he saw in the photo album back in their _buchou_'s house—the place that Kenji Yamamoto and his friends used as a makeshift tennis camp years ago.

The prince shifted his own flashlight towards the left of the temple and discovered a huge ground. He guessed that that is where Kenji and his friends used to play tennis at. He did recognize a few spots of that area from the other pictures he remembered.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go check it out," Kirihara whispered excitedly, taking a step inside the gates. Hiyoshi had seen the glint of something shiny appear from the left side of the courtyard and automatically tensed.

"Watch out!" he yelled, pushing Kirihara and Sakuno out of the way as he felt something _whoooz _in the air, ending in a firm _thud_ when it finally landed on the ground.

The Hyoutei regular belatedly felt a sharp sting on his right arm, accompanied by the moisture of something—he was bleeding!

Ryoma searched the ground for the "mysterious" object that flew in the air and discovered under the light of his device that it was a medium-sized, heavy arrow. It had apparently managed to pierce Hiyoshi's arm when he pushed the two out of harm's way.

"Hiyoshi!"

"Hiyoshi-san!"

Kirihara and Sakuno exclaimed at the same time. The junior ace lowered the brunette to the ground as they all crowded around the injured second year who had taken off his jersey in order to inspect the wound he sustained. It was a long slash that ran from a few centimeters below his shoulder down to his elbow. It was also bleeding like no other.

Hiyoshi kneeled on his knee and wiped off the blood using his jersey. He tried not to flinch from the pain as he performed the action. He soon took his bag, opened it, and fished for a specific item inside—an antiseptic alcohol.

He opened the cap of the bottle and gritted his teeth before he splashed the alcohol on the wound in order to disinfect it. He soon grabbed a package of bandages and started wrapping them around his arm to cover the wound. It was a good thing that he had bought a first-aid kit during their long rest a few hours ago.

Kirihara frowned guiltily as he watched Hiyoshi tend to his wound. Sakuno had offered to help him but the Hyoutei player proudly refused any assistance.

"_Baka_, you didn't have to do that…" the junior ace muttered half-heartedly, for in honesty, he was truly grateful that Hiyoshi had pushed him aside. If not, the arrow could've hit the girl who had been on his back a few moments ago.

"If you didn't act so stupidly, then maybe I wouldn't have had to."

"You ass—" Kirihara started but bit back the insult when he remembered that the Hyoutei player had just saved him and Sakuno. He just settled to give him a semi-glare.

Hiyoshi soon packed up his things and stared back at the courtyard that lay before them.

"At least, we now know something…" Hiyoshi mumbled to his companions without humor. They all soon followed his gaze.

"This courtyard, which appears to be the only way to reach the temple, is heavily booby-trapped."

_Oh joy_.

* * *

"D-Don't come closer!"

Eiji and Oishi were on their way to help the two tied-up players when Yuuta's panicked voice stopped them. The younger Fuji didn't look as beaten up as Kabaji, but he still seemed too weak to the Golden pair. He was fighting the urge to close his eyes to get the much-needed rest he deserves. But he still kept his eyes open, knowing that he had to warn anyone who was unfortunate enough to discover them in their current situation.

"We're…connected to the bomb. Touch us and you will activate the timer automatically," he mumbled again.

"B-but…" Eiji weakly protested, his eyes already starting to get watery from the painful site before him.

"Is…is _aniki_ alright?" Yuuta cut him off.

Oishi visibly swallowed before he gained enough courage to answer the boy. To think that the younger player is still asking about his older brother's well-being at his current state was truly admirable and touching. He also felt tears starting to accumulate in his eyes.

_Why? Why the hell do bad things happen to such good people?_

"He's doing fine, Yuuta. You don't have to worry," the vice captain answered with a sad smile.

Upon hearing that, a small—albeit painful—smile broke into the younger Fuji's face.

"As expected from _aniki_…"

Eiji suddenly turned to face Oishi, desperation on his face and tone. "Oishi, now that we found the hostages, we don't have to actually detonate the bomb, right? Maybe there's a way to help them escape here too!" the acrobat reasoned out, more concerned about the hostages' safety than theirs.

Oishi glanced at the bomb and was disappointed to find that there was still a paper contained in its compartment—the very last riddle.

What he didn't understand was why the hostages were bound to this one when they had expected the last riddle to point them to where the hostages are being held. If there is still another riddle left, does that mean…

"…you have to do it…" Yuuta answered weakly for him, his voice coming out hollow. "He said there is another one…a bigger one that he set up somewhere. It'll kill more people…and more lives would be affected if it isn't found before the expiration time."

The vice captain was as still as a rock. This new information filled his body with cold dread.

"No! There's no way! How could he? We thought—but…the plan…" Eiji uttered incredulously, refusing to believe the situation.

"I wish it were so but I'm serious," was Yuuta's melancholy reply.

When he was met with nothing but silence, he soon prompted them, "We're gonna run out of time…do what you must. For the sake of more people…" the younger boy encouraged them.

Oishi forced himself to look at Yuuta—his face, displaying unbelievable braveness at his young age—and then to the passed-out Kabaji, who had most likely suffered more abuse than Yuuta as evidenced by his bruised and bloody face.

Eiji looked at Oishi beseechingly, but the vice captain seemed to be in a state of shock. Only when Yuuta called his name did he snap out of it, and finally resolved to accomplish their task. He did a quick search of the area, looking for the particular "glint." When he found it, he finally looked back at Eiji and gave the acrobat a confident nod.

The acrobat did his best to give him one of his cheerful smiles and held up a closed fist in a manner of showing his friendship with the other Seigaku player.

"I'm glad I met you Oishi. I couldn't have asked for a better doubles partner than you! And you were also reeeeally fun to bug." He added the last bit to lighten up the mood. Oishi tearily chuckled at his attempt on a joke and imitated his actions, raising his own closed fist to do a "fist bump" with Eiji.

"Likewise, Eiji. The times we shared together are something I will treasure even on the afterlife."

"_Hoi, hoi!_ Whoever said I won't bug you on the other side too?" Eiji suddenly protested, which earned him another teary smile from Oishi.

"Of course, Eiji. Of course."

"_Ano_, Oishi-san…before you open the compartment, can I ask a favor too?" Yuuta hesitantly asked, a bit guilty of ruining the Golden pair's moment.

Oishi kindly turned to him and said: "Of course, Yuuta. _Anything_."

"Can I talk to _aniki_ before we go on with it…?"

* * *

Fuji stared blankly at the painted white walls of the meeting room. Oshitari was behind him, frowning in concern.

A few minutes ago, the _tensai_ had received a call from Oishi. The vice captain had briefly explained their current situation as Fuji listened quietly—too quietly for Oishi's liking.

Everything was _not going_ according to his plan. It felt horribly damning that for the first time, he was powerless to do anything else but watch his carefully formulated scheme break into pieces. How did this happen? He was so confident that he had everything under his control.

The _tensai_ felt shameful guilt slowly creep up from his stomach and fill his body. All those sacrifices…wasted just like that. In the end, they aren't able to save the hostages after all. He isn't able to do anything to save his brother…

"_Aniki_," his brother called out to him, not sure whether his older sibling was still on the other end of the line. Oishi had put him on speaker so he can still talk to his older brother over the phone without having to compromise the "no-touching" issue of their current bomb situation.

Yuuta knew it was probably not the best time nor the best thing to say at the moment. But they were running out of time. And he had to tell his brother his real feelings. He couldn't die without telling his brother what he really thinks of him.

"_Aniki_, the truth is…" he mumbled, his voice somewhat trembling. Fuji numbly heard the younger boy swallow down what could be a coming sob. "The truth is that I've _always_ looked up to you. I've always thought that there was no way I could ever measure up to you. And I am fine with that because, honestly…I am _proud_ to be your brother. And I _always_ will be."

The _tensai_'s hand automatically clenched around the cellphone upon hearing his younger brother's confession. But then, Yuuta continued, "Please continue to have the courage to do what is right."

After that, he heard Oishi say: "Fuji, we're going to send the text message to you. We…have faith in you guys. We know you can take care of the rest and somehow overcome these troubles."

Oishi heard no reply but Oishi perfectly understood why there was none—Fuji was too emotionally-compromised at the moment to say anything. Reluctantly, the vice captain finally hanged up.

* * *

It was a few seconds later when Fuji received the text message on his phone. Uncaringly, he slid the device across the table towards Oshitari, who caught it curiously.

"What happened?" the blue-haired player asked. He didn't hear Fuji talk after the few inquiring words he asked when Oishi was explaining the situation. Not to mention, the lost and indifferent look on the _tensai_'s face. His blue eyes were pale and glassy.

"Oishi and Eiji are dead," Fuji uttered unfeelingly, "so are Kabaji and Yuuta."

Oshitari's eyes widened in shock.

"The hostages were wired with the last bomb," he heard the _tensai_ explain further.

"There's the last riddle, which refers to the final bomb. It's bigger than the rest and affects more people," Fuji continued to recite in a hollow monotone, not really caring anymore.

"I want to be alone for a while. Please inform the others of the situation for me," he finally told Oshitari before he left the Hyoutei player alone in the room.

After recovering from shock, the blue-haired regular looked at Fuji's phone for the last riddle. He read:

"_**And many more shall suffer from the very thing you stole from me."**_

_**Expiration time, 5:30 am.**_

Oshitari felt his heart drop at the last line.

He checked the clock on Fuji's screen for the current time.

It was already 3:56 am.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Merry Christmas to all :3

**Japanese Vocab:**

_Aniki _– older brother


	42. Trapped

**XLII. Trapped**

"We can try to fly like Superman," Kirihara mumbled, clearly irritated.

Hiyoshi glared at him while Sakuno just gave him a questioning look, the girl not getting the sarcasm in his voice.

"If you're incapable of saying anything intelligible, then just _please_ shut your mouth," Hiyoshi complained.

"Well, it's not like you're contributing much either! We've been brainstorming for a way to bypass the traps for five minutes and haven't come up with anything!"

The Hyoutei player just sighed. He was about to say something in return, when Ryoma interrupted the trio.

"Stand back," he calmly commanded as he picked up a heavy boulder from the ground.

"Like hell are we going to take orders from a— hey!" Kirihara protested as he felt Hiyoshi grab his arm and pull him back. Sakuno wisely followed Ryoma's order as well.

They saw the first year prodigy throw the boulder into the courtyard. He aimed it slightly to the left and it landed a foot away from the gates. Once again, they saw the glint of something metallic come out from the left ground of the yard and release an arrow. It flew by the location of where the boulder hit and landed on the ground.

"Thanks, Einstein, we already know that that happens so it's useless—"

"Shut up," Hiyoshi snapped at Kirihara, not taking his gaze away from Ryoma. He knew that the boy was onto something.

The second years and Sakuno watched curiously as Ryoma looked around and picked up yet another pretty heavy boulder and threw it—though this time, he aimed slightly right. Pretty much the same sequence of events happened again, except this time, the device that released the arrow came out from the right side of the courtyard.

Hiyoshi smirked, impressed.

So Ryoma was trying to find a pattern, after all.

Hiyoshi soon joined the prince in his task. He picked up a stone and threw it. The Hyoutei player was stunned when nothing happened even as the stone perfectly landed in the courtyard.

"They have weight sensors too," Ryoma told him.

The _Gekokujou_ player glanced at him, surprised that he was able to predict that. Now he knows that Ryoma wasn't called a prodigy for nothing. The boy obviously had a sharp mind to complement his amazing tennis skills.

"Then let's look around and gather as many heavy boulders as we can," Hiyoshi suggested.

They're going to figure out where the arrow shooters are located and shall work from there.

Ten minutes later, boulders of various sizes and shapes were piled in front of them as they stood ready to test their plan. Not all of the boulders were able to meet the weight-requirement. In fact, only five boulders were able to activate the traps.

"Crap, should we go and try to find more boulders?" Kirihara asked.

"No, we activated enough to notice a pattern," Hiyoshi replied. They saw that the "arrow shooters" only come from the left and right side of the courtyard, apparently lining the pathway to the temple on both sides. There are at least ten of them, most likely five on the left and five on the right, with about ten feet distance from each other.

When they threw a boulder in the exact middle of the pathway, both the left and right arrow shooters were activated.

"So what now?"

At the junior ace's question, Hiyoshi closed his eyes and smirked cunningly. He had been slowly formulating an idea inside his mind while they were throwing boulders into the courtyard earlier.

"I have a plan."

Kirihara had a really bad feeling about the wicked look on Hiyoshi's face at that moment.

* * *

Tooyama Kintarou looked up in surprise when he saw Shiraishi and Chitose walking in from the main dome entrance. The red-haired first year was in one of the courts, playing a warm-up game with Gin when he saw from the corner of his eyes the familiar forms of his teammates.

Excitedly, he dropped his tennis racket and headed towards them, ignoring Gin's protests about the boy rudely walking out of their practice match.

"Shiraishiiiiii! Chitoseeeeee!" he yelled excitedly, waving his right arm as he walked towards them.

He saw the perfect captain and his companion pause and turn to him.

"You were gone for such a long time! Where have you two been?" Kin-chan immediately interrogated.

Shiraishi gave him an apologetic smile. "_Gomen_, Kin-chan. We had some things to do."

The captain extended a hand and ruffled the boy's wild red hair. "I'll explain later, but for now, we have to meet with the others to see what had changed since we parted with them. _Mata na_."

Shiraishi and Chitose left before the boy had time to protest. Kin-chan was about to go after them when he suddenly paused in his steps and just stared after his teammates' departing backs.

Gin, who had joined Kin-chan at his current location, was curious as to what had suddenly caused the usually loud and talkative boy to appear contemplative. The first year was frowning hard, as if there was something that was really bothering him.

"What's up?" Gin couldn't help but ask.

Kin-chan crossed his arms and let out a wondering "hmmm."

"I don't know but there's something weird about Shiraishi just now," he told his _senpai_.

Gin continued to give him a curious look. "Weird? What do you mean by that?"

"I don't know. He was just weird!" the first year prodigy scratched his head, irritated by the fact that he can't figure out what it was exactly.

"It's probably just you," Gin offered as an explanation.

"Maybe," Kin-chan shrugged and suddenly turned to his _senpai_ with energy back in his system, "_Hora_, let's finish our match!"

* * *

"No. Frigging. Way."

"It's for the best. It'll save us time."

"Still no! Hell no!"

Hiyoshi sighed for the umpteenth time that day as he listened to Kirihara's protests.

"Keh, there is no way I am going to trust this shrimp with my life!"

Ryoma glared at Kirihara for the insult but didn't say anything. Though honestly, he was with Kirihara in this one. He really didn't want to work together with the junior ace, if he can avoid to.

"Thanks to _someone_, my dominant arm is injured so I can't be of much help. Unless you want her to do it instead," Hiyoshi nodded at Sakuno to emphasize his point.

Kirihara felt cold dread pooling through his body. There was no way he'll allow Sakuno to do that dangerous task. Just the expression on the junior ace's face told Hiyoshi that he had already won the argument.

The Hyoutei player had a brilliant plan for them to bypass the booby traps so they can cross the courtyard. He proposed for one of them (Kirihara) to cross the yard so the "arrow shooters" could be activated, while another one (Ryoma) would use tennis balls to knock out and damage the devices. And voila! If they are to succeed, then the rest of group could easily walk through the path without having to worry about arrows shooting at them.

His bold and risky plan didn't really appeal to the others. However, Hiyoshi insisted that it was the fastest way for them to accomplish the task. They can't afford to waste more time looking for "good enough" boulders to activate the trap.

"_Ano_…but it's still too dangerous," Sakuno protested while frowning. She really doesn't think she could stomach watching Kirihara risk his life for the task.

"We can deal with it," Hiyoshi brushed off her worry.

Kirihara growled. "Then why not have _him_," he pointed at Ryoma, "cross the courtyard instead of me. My shots are more powerful than his, and I'd definitely have no problem knocking out those devices."

"I would've had him do that since he is technically more agile than you," Hiyoshi countered, "but the problem is that his speed is currently compromised by his still-healing ankle."

Kirihara ran his hand through his hair in frustration, "Damn it, it's just not going to work. I have never worked with him and we're …we're not synchronized enough!" he protested lamely, though Ryoma silently agreed with him on the last part.

Hiyoshi let out an impatient hiss. It seems like he's going to spell it out for them, after all.

"Think," Hiyoshi admonished, "Is there anything you two have in common? _Anything_ at all?"

Ryoma looked away from the group while Kirihara instinctively glanced at the brunette who was standing next to Hiyoshi.

"Aside from the girl," the Hyoutei player gritted out.

There was silence, and then almost simultaneously, the answer came to both prodigies.

Kirihara's lips curled into a grin as he saw the prince glance at him with a cocky glint in his eyes.

"_Muga no kyouchi_," they recited in unison.

Well, if there's anything they can both agree on, it's tennis.

"Exactly," Hiyoshi uttered, "That state should allow you to bypass any synchronization issues."

Kirihara nodded, understanding what he meant and finally agreeing to the plan.

"Let's get started then," the junior ace uttered confidently. He felt a firm tug on his arm and saw Sakuno's worried expression as she held on to his sleeves. She was sending him an apprehensive look, concerned about his safety.

The junior ace couldn't help but smile fondly at her as he raised a hand and ruffled her hair teasingly.

"It's alright, Sa-chan," he told her with a cocky grin, "just sit back and watch me show off."

Ryoma looked away from the display of affection that played on between the two. He suddenly felt sick in the stomach and he knew it had nothing to do with anything he had eaten before. Walking away from the group, he stooped to grab Hiyoshi's bag and took out the tennis racket and multiple tennis balls he had brought along with them.

For a second, he debated about "accidentally" missing one of those arrow shooting devices just for the heck of it.

It was _very_ tempting, but he resisted the sadistic urge.

* * *

Step.

_Pluck. _

Step.

_Pluck._

Kirihara was visibly sweating as he continued to hop his way through the path to the temple.

So far, Hiyoshi's plan had worked perfectly. With every step, an "arrow shooter" appeared and Ryoma accurately destroyed the device with a powerful shot from his position just outside the gates.

Sakuno and Hiyoshi watched the duo's progress from a few steps back. Both were holding flashlights to illuminate the way for Kirihara and Ryoma.

For a second, it seemed like Kirihara was going to make it through the final steps without getting hurt.

But then, the junior ace suddenly missed a step, offsetting his balance and making him land his full weight on the exact center of the pathway. To their horror, two arrow devices, one from his left and one from his right, suddenly appeared, making it impossible for Ryoma to hit them both at the same time.

Knowing that there's no time for hesitation, the prince chose to hit the arrow device from the right side first. However, it wasn't mortally feasible for him to be quick enough to hit the one at the left side too.

"Akaya-kun!" Sakuno screamed his name in panic as she saw the deadly arrow flying towards the junior ace.

It took all of Kirihara's concentration and energy, but he was able to dodge the arrow just in time before it pierced his body.

Realizing that he had just narrowly escaped certain death, he let out a loud of sigh of relief and wiped off the cold sweat that beaded from his forehead.

"Whew, that was close," he muttered out loud.

"There's one more left," Ryoma reminded him, making him glance back and send the boy a glare. Nevertheless, he stepped to his left and once again, activated the arrow shooter that almost costed him his life.

Ryoma effortlessly destroyed the last device with a powerful shot.

It was quiet for a few moments.

All four of them were waiting in alert if any other deadly device would come out of the ground and hit the junior ace as he walked the final steps towards the temple.

To their immense relief, he managed to reach the raised platform of the temple's entrance without anything else happening. He turned to face his comrades, and with a confident smile and a thumbs-up, shouted:

"Stage 1, successfully cleared!"

He was a video games geek, after all.

* * *

The clock read 4:17 am.

Inside a spacious meeting room in the dome, the "leaders" of the regulars crowded around Fuji's cellphone. They were all just recently updated by Oshitari about the situation and the problem with the last threat.

Quite understandably, Atobe had excused himself and quietly stormed out of the room upon hearing that the hostages have died. That left them with yet another comrade who was currently too emotionally-compromised to cope up with the stress.

"Where could he possibly have put the last bomb?" Tachibana asked, "If it involves more people, then it's most likely in a public place. And there are numerous possibilities for that."

His inquiries were met with grim silence before Yanagi spoke.

"It seems suspicious for him to lock us up in here if he's expecting us to solve that last riddle and search for the last bomb."

And then, it suddenly hit them.

What if he was locking them up in the dome for a specific reason? And what if that reason was…?

They all stared at each other in horror.

* * *

She trembled as she stood beside the three regulars in front of the entrance of the temple itself. It seemed as if lady luck was still on their side as they managed to get that far without getting seriously hurt. She just hoped that their other friends are safe as well, because at the rate that they're going, it's not impossible that one of them could…

"_Ne_," she suddenly spoke, catching all of the boys' attention. They all turned to her, curiously.

The brunette bowed her head and allowed her bangs to cover the play of emotions in her eyes.

"Once this is over…" she started, her shoulders were shaking. "Once this nightmare is done, we should all go on a trip."

The three regulars' eyes slightly widened at that proposition. Just what exactly does she…?

"Maybe a trip to the beach. Or we can go to an _onsen_. Or a hike. Or a fishing trip…anything! Everyone will be there…" her voice startled trembling and her shoulders shook more. "Everyone from Seigaku, Rikkai, Hyoutei, Shitenhouji, Fudomine…St. Rudolph and Yamabuki too! We should all go on a trip and have fun with everyone. After all of this…" Sakuno's voice broke at the last sentence.

The boys were speechless for a few seconds. They have all realized why she was saying such things. She was indirectly asking them to promise her that they would all be safe—that no one would be hurt anymore.

Ryoma averted his gaze to the ground while Hiyoshi, for the first time, looked at her with no hint of annoyance in his eyes.

Kirihara moved closer to the girl and gave her a pat on the head.

"Why the hell not?" his cheerful voice said, comforting her. "That sounds like fun! I'm pretty sure even Sanada-_fukubuchou_ would agree to a trip. And if he doesn't, well, I'll ask Niou-_senpai_ for something we can use to blackmail him or maybe Yukimura-_buchou_ can just threaten him. It'll all be good. Plus, Hyoutei can fund our trip," he glanced at Hiyoshi, grinning.

Hiyoshi said something like "keh" but did nothing to refute any of their words.

"I'll take that as a yes," Kirihara continued, "So yeah! Let's finish this as quickly as we can. We have a trip to plan for and to look forward to. And _no one_ is allowed to die before then."

Sakuno's glassy brown eyes gazed at him in gratitude as she nodded her head.

"You're the only one who was planning to die," Hiyoshi mumbled, but mostly out of jest.

"_Oi_, that's rude!"

* * *

It was pitch black inside the temple and the meager light that their flashlights provided showed them nothing but an endless hallway beyond them. _Shoji_ doors were lined up on either side of the hall, showing the locations of different rooms. As with any traditional Japanese structure, the flooring of the temple was completely made of wooden floorboards that echoed with every step they took.

"Be careful," Hiyoshi whispered in caution, "even though there is no indication that there is anyone in here, we must be alert for any—"

He didn't even get to finish his sentence when they heard a surprised squeal from Sakuno. She had tripped on a blunt object on the floor, though Ryoma, who was right behind her managed to catch her before she fell.

The next sequence of events happened way too fast for all of them.

There was a mechanical noise that they heard as if the walls inside the temple were moving.

They felt the ground vibrating, and then, the sound of something opening.

Kirihara and Hiyoshi heard Sakuno scream as a hole, which had apparently opened right below where she and Ryoma were standing, instantly swallowed the two.

Within a second, the wooden floorboards shut again, covering the hole where Sakuno and Ryoma disappeared to.

The second years weren't able to do anything but stare at the empty space where the two had just been.

"Sa-chan!" Kirihara bent down and started clawing on the floor where the hole had appeared. "Sa-chan! Hold on, I'll help you—" he exclaimed in panic as he started pounding, scratching, and punching the floor to no avail.

Hiyoshi moved to restrain him, knowing full well that the junior ace was just wasting his energy.

Apparently, the temple residence was also booby-trapped just like the courtyard. It was reckless of them to have thought otherwise.

Though unlike the more technologically-advanced traps outside the temple, the traps inside seemed more traditional—like the traps that can often be found in _dojos_ were feudal _samurais _and ninjas lived.

"She'll be fine, Echizen's with her," Hiyoshi spoke to try to calm the boy.

Kirihara merely sent him an agonized glare.

That was part of the reason why he was worried.

* * *

There was nothing in there.

Sakuno desperately felt the walls around her while Ryoma flicked his flashlight here and there, trying to find a way out of the enclosed room they were trapped in.

It was too quick and sudden but it felt like they had fallen from quite a height. The only relief Ryoma got was the fact that he had been there to cushion the girl's fragile body from the fall.

The room they were trapped in was small and was barred by hard wooden walls from all sides. It was slightly more spacious than a regular bathroom in a typical apartment.

"Nothing! There's nothing in these walls at all," Sakuno moaned, finally slumping on the ground, and allowing her tired body to lean against the wall that was opposite the one Ryoma was closely inspecting.

The prince spent a few more seconds checking out the area, but also found no opening, switch, or disturbance in the walls that can help them. They were completely blank and plain.

'Darn it,' he mentally cursed.

For now, it seems like they were officially trapped in that hell hole.

* * *

"Impossible…" Tachibana, murmured, his eyes fully wide with dread.

"It actually makes perfect sense if you think about it," Inui rebutted.

Yes, it seems silly that they were all just realizing it.

Tezuka had exclusively attacked only tennis players. There was no reason why he would start diverging from that intention now.

So when he meant that "many more shall suffer" and the fact that there was a bigger bomb he set up somewhere else…

Well, where else would there be a lot of tennis players gathered around at that particular time?

Nowhere else but inside that dome! The very same tournament that he_ organized_!

Yes, the last bomb must be somewhere in there!

Tachibana slammed his fist on the table, desperate to relieve some tension from his body. "But we checked every inch of this place! It's not rigged in any way," he reasoned out.

"He has obviously found a way," Yukimura uttered, also believing that the last bomb can be found somewhere near them.

"Then we must get out of this place—"

"He specified that he will detonate the bomb if he sees any of us leaving the dome, remember?" Yanagi cut off Tachibana.

"With the time limit he gave us, we'll blow up either way!"

There was a thick tension in the atmosphere as the players desperately racked their brains for any escape route. It was then that a new voice came in and saved them from the effort.

"There's no way out," Shiraishi's voice came loud and clear as he came into the meeting room. He was followed closely by Chitose.

Everyone turned their heads to look at them.

"I've found the location of the last bomb," he said calmly as he closed his eyes in grim resolution.

All at once, the regulars in the room stood from their seats in shock.

"Where is it?" Tachibana asked in an urgent tone.

"Why, it's _literally_ under our noses," Shiraishi uttered, with an ironic smile.

Everyone had a confused look for a while. That was when some of them started to realize it and suddenly looked down on their jerseys.

"Bingo," Shiraishi murmured approvingly, "these replicas of the National pin aren't just innocent pins after all."

The regulars felt all of their blood draining from their bodies as they continued to stare at their seemingly innocent pins.

"They are actually modified explosives with advanced tracking and sensors in them," Shiraishi finished, completely paralyzing everyone else in the room.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Short chapter but I'm aiming to upload the next one soon. Please don't forget to review until then!

**Japanese Vocab:**

_Ne_ – something like "hey"

_Onsen_ - hot spring


	43. Loophole

**XLIII. Loophole**

No signal.

Just great.

Ryoma sighed and pushed random buttons on his cellphone out of boredom. He was planning to call for help, but since there's no signal where they're at, it's impossible to accomplish. The prince glanced across him and found that Sakuno had buried her head behind her knees as she hugged them close to her body.

She was obviously distressed about their current situation. Not to mention, most likely because she was trapped in there with him. He couldn't help but wonder if she'd rather have that seaweed-haired player be trapped with her instead. How predictable.

Well, excuse him for not being the most comforting person in the world, he thought in annoyance.

He was randomly pushing buttons on his phone so he was somewhat startled when he suddenly found himself in his picture gallery. As it was configured so that the latest picture taken was displayed first, he found himself looking at the picture he had taken from his _buchou_'s house.

That's right.

He finally remembered that he had taken a shot of the group picture of Kenji Yamamoto and his friends while they were posed in front of the temple residence. Who knew that it had turned out to be a booby-trapped place, after all.

He wondered if Kenji or his friends knew about the traps. Maybe they weren't installed yet when they used the place and had just been put around the temple recently. But if so, then by who? It couldn't have been his Tezuka-_buchou_…

The prince suddenly remembered what Tezuka's mom told them.

_"Kunimitsu always seemed excited to go to that place with Kenji-kun. They acted as if it was their secret base or something when, of course, all they did there was play tennis."_

Never mind. His _buchou_ most likely knew about the traps as well.

Ryoma stared intently at the group picture and tried to locate the younger version of his _buchou_. He found him at the back of the group, slightly hiding from everyone else.

'Heh, how typical of Tezuka-_buchou_.'

His eyes roamed around the picture again, zooming in and zooming out of particular spots and faces, when all of a sudden, he found something shocking.

'_Masaka_…' he thought, confused. He hadn't noticed that before.

He zoomed in on that spot again and then on the other spot.

Ryoma frowned.

If what he saw was right, then that could explain everything…

Sure, it sounded crazy, but if that was true, then yes, everything else was possible.

That also explains _his_ reaction on that day when he accompanied Sakuno to the hospital where Akutsu Jin was admitted to.

_After he told Sakuno that he was going home, he came back using a different street and secretly followed Tezuka and Sakuno until they reached the Ryuzaki residence._

_He watched from a corner lot as Tezuka said goodbye to Sakuno, but he wasn't able to hear their conversation._

_Ryoma saw that Tezuka was leaving the house and approaching his way so he quickly hid behind a post. When he dared to peek again, he was amazed to find that Tezuka had disappeared from the street. He wondered where the buchou disappeared to. Did he turn on a corner?_

"_Echizen."_

_He stiffened in alert when he heard the voice of the very same man he had just been stalking. Tezuka was standing behind him and was giving him a look that promised a punishment consisting of multiple laps and a much, much harder training menu. _

"_Why were you following us?" Tezuka finally asked in a no-nonsense tone._

_Ryoma tried to appear nonchalant upon having been caught stalking._

_He closed his eyes and replied in an even tone, "I could ask the same question, Tezuka-buchou."_

_For a second, Tezuka looked confused._

"_I had spotted you following me and Ryuzaki when we were on our way to the hospital."_

_Tezuka's face instantly froze into a mask of indifference, though his eyes had hardened._

_It seemed ages before Tezuka spoke again._

"_Stay away from this business, Echizen," he advised. Ryoma just raised a brow at that. __So his buchou chose not to answer his inquiry, after all. Well, he thought it was only fair since he didn't answer Tezuka's question as well._

"_And if possible, keep her away from it too," Tezuka finished and then finally left without saying anything else._

"Did you know that Kunimitsu-_nii_ had a hobby of folding paper cranes?" Sakuno's soft voice snapped him out of his reverie.

Ryoma was wondering why she asked such a random question when he suddenly saw the small paper creation in her hands. It had been squished, but she was able to restore it to its former shape.

"I found it under my right leg," Sakuno explained, "It seems that I accidentally sat on it when I slumped on the ground."

Ryoma stared at the object curiously. It was a miniature paper crane.

But why was there a paper crane inside this trap hole?

"Though Kunimitsu-_nii_'s have this unique extra fold in the middle of the crane's wings," Sakuno continued to rant. She now had a soft smile on her face as she remembered certain memories. "I actually like his paper cranes since the extra folds made them look like their wings were flapping and flying."

'So that was why she was asking about any extra folds in the wings back then,' Ryoma realized. He noticed that the paper crane she was currently holding had no extra folds. It was a typical paper crane.

Ryoma looked back at Sakuno's face and saw that her eyes had glazed in sadness.

"Kunimitsu-_nii_ told me that folding paper cranes was a hobby that he had unconsciously adopted from a man he once called his brother," Sakuno frowned, her brown eyes turning glassy again. "And now, with everything that we have learned, I couldn't help but wonder that maybe…maybe that brother figure he was talking about back then was actually Yamamoto Kenji-san."

She had spoken the last words so softly that Ryoma barely heard her.

Without removing his gaze from her, he asked: "Do you finally believe that Tezuka-_buchou_ was really responsible for all the killing?"

Sakuno instantly glanced up, meeting his eyes for the first time since they had fallen into that room. Her eyes held his seriously.

"No," she spoke confidently. "I could _never_ really believe that it is him. Kunimitsu-_nii_…" her voice shook. "Kunimitsu-_nii_ is kind and gentle. He would never _ever_ do such things."

The brunette suddenly let out a pitying soft chuckle and bowed her head. "I guess Ryoma-kun is right. I am nothing but a naïve girl, after all."

Ryoma was quiet for a while, before he finally whispered: "Stay that way."

Sakuno sent him a confused look. "_E-eh_?"

But Ryoma had already turned his head away from her and was busy looking at the group picture again. He soon handed his phone to her.

The brunette took it hesitantly, not really sure what she was supposed to do with it.

"Can you find Tezuka-_buchou_ in that picture?"

Sakuno frowned and took some time looking at the faces in the picture. When she found the younger version of the stoic captain, she nodded her head and pointed to a person on his phone screen.

Ryoma stood up from his position and sat beside her in order to see which person she was pointing at.

He smirked.

So it was just as he thought.

Before they can continue their conversation, they were interrupted by a loud mechanical sound. It sounded exactly like what they had heard before they fell into the trapdoor. If so, then…!

Ryoma stood in alert as he anticipated what was going to happen next. And like he predicted, one of the walls inside of the room started to move. Sakuno also stood when she noticed that it was the wall to their left that started to open up.

Instinctively, Ryoma put himself in front of Sakuno to protect her from whatever they will find beyond that wall.

They froze in shock when they began to see the form of a person in the middle of the recently opened passageway.

It was someone they definitely did not expect to see in that place.

* * *

How clever.

By saying that the pins are needed as "identification badges" for every door inside the facility, he was able to trick them into keeping the pins with them the entire time.

Definitely sly.

Oshitari raised a hand, about to grab the pin and remove it from his body, when Shiraishi's voice stopped him.

"_Akan!_ They have sensors that detect body temperature. Once they are taken away from a person's body and reach a certain temperature that is beyond the normal range, they would automatically set off."

"What?" Tachibana was giving him a look full of chagrin. "Then how are we to—?"

"We can't go out of this dome either since they have tracking capabilities as well," Shiraishi answered for him. "Like I said, we're basically trapped here with no way out."

The Fudomine captain looked at Shiraishi in trepidation, not able to think of anything to get out of their situation anymore.

"_Soya_, can anybody point me to the room that contains the controls for this dome's PA system?" Shiraishi suddenly asked out of the blue.

The regulars sent him a look, questioning the perfect captain's current state of sanity.

* * *

They had returned to the same hallway inside the spacious temple for the _third_ time.

Kirihara growled impatiently. They were getting nowhere and he was worried sick about Sakuno's safety.

Sure, they had activated other "booby traps" in the temple but found no other trap doors. More arrows, spikes, and other flying objects were the only things that met them and they were able to evade them easily. His patience was definitely running thin.

"We've got to think of a plan. We can't just run around blindly," the junior ace told his second year companion.

"What do you think have I been doing all this time?" Hiyoshi hissed in return.

"Well, you still haven't thought of anything!"

"It would help if you could think from time to time too, but I guess it's too much for your puny brain."

The junior ace sent him a murderous glare but didn't say anything. He had no time to bicker with Hiyoshi at the moment, especially since they have no idea where Sakuno had disappeared to. The fact that she was left alone and vulnerable with that no-good, cocky first year just made the situation worst in his mind.

Kirihara leaned against the wall nearest him and started ruffling his hair in frustration. He was unaware that he had just accidentally pushed against something on the wall and activated the switch. They soon heard mechanical sounds and within a second, Kirihara felt himself falling backwards as the wall he was leaning against opened up and he was falling into it.

Panicked, he grabbed onto Hiyoshi's uninjured arm and pulled the other second year with him into the opening in the wall.

The wall closed down again, leaving the two second years trapped in another dimension of the temple.

* * *

It wasn't until a few minutes later when Ryoma and Sakuno were free to wander in what could be the "basement" of the temple they were in.

Their flashlights had run out of battery and were now completely useless so they had no choice but to walk in complete darkness. Ryoma noticed that Sakuno had gradually been inching closer and closer to him with each step they took.

She was most likely getting scared of their surroundings. Besides, it wasn't like they were just walking in the park. They were in a dangerous place where people could easily jump them at any moment.

And so, he just allowed her to stay close to him.

A few more seconds later, his body stiffened when he felt her warm hand hesitantly latch on to his. Even so, he continued to walk, trying not to alter his pace.

* * *

Feeling that Ryoma was uncomfortable with what she did, Sakuno decided to let go of his hand. She didn't want to make things harder for him than it already is. After all, he was already stuck with her again, forced to take care of her. She is nothing but a burden for the umpteenth time.

Much to her surprise, she felt him covering her own hand with his just when she was about to pull away. She turned her head sideways in order to look at him, but just saw him looking straight ahead.

As if to answer her unspoken question, he gently tightened his hand around hers, reassuring her that everything will be fine.

Sakuno found herself touched by his simple actions. It was very much like Ryoma to do unexpected things like this. Though he was not very good at articulating his feelings, he shows them through his actions. After all, actions speak so much louder than words.

But then again, she also cautioned herself not to hope for too much.

It's probable that Ryoma was just being nice to her. Nothing more, nothing less.

Still, she wanted to enjoy the few moments of being able to get close to him for as much as she can. Because after this nightmare, just as she promised him, she _would_ let him go and let him live his life.

He would be happy without her.

Her melancholy thoughts were interrupted by the sight of something bright that was illuminating part of the hallway right ahead of them. As they approached it slowly, they realized that it was coming from an opened door of a room—a lighted room that had a single occupant inside.

* * *

"This place looks like a dragon's den. It's full of nothing but empty prison cells," Kirihara muttered as he and Hiyoshi walked along the aisle of the part of the temple where they were trapped in.

Since Hiyoshi carried the extra batteries for the flashlights in his bag, the second years were able to replace the ones in their flashlights and continue to use them. They examined each prison cell, looking for something out of the ordinary.

"Was this the place where you were imprisoned?" Hiyoshi couldn't help but ask.

Kirihara shivered upon the remembrance, but shook his head. "No, there was only one cell at the place where I was kept. And it was much smaller than this."

They both froze in their steps when their ears picked up the sound of something. It was very faint but they were certain they heard it.

"Did you hear that?" the junior ace asked anxiously.

Hiyoshi just nodded at him before they both kept quiet again in order to listen to the sound.

It came and they heard it again—the sound of heavy breathing!

And it sounded like it was coming from only a few feet from where they stood.

Fully alert, they cautiously approached the source of the noise, ready for any attack that might spring upon them. When they finally reached the prison cell where the noise was apparently coming from, they almost tumbled over in shock.

Hiyoshi gathered enough sense to shine his flashlight over the face of the person they saw inside the cell.

When his features became fully visible under the light, the second years' minds froze; the shock on their faces was clearly visible.

They felt like their world had just been turned upside down.

* * *

The man checked the watch on his wrist and found that it was already 5:02 am. Only a few more minutes before the final fireworks.

He closed his eyes in relief, anticipating the sweet moment when his revenge would finally be complete.

And to think…to think that he had waited so many years for this moment. So many long hours of planning. So much money wasted. It was all sacrificed for the time when he would finally make _him _pay for everything he's taken from him.

_Alas_, sweet justice.

"Sorry, but it's not going to happen."

He jolted out of his seat and swiveled his body to face the source of the voice that had rudely interrupted his rumination. His brown eyes widened behind his glasses as he perceived two brats he thought he had taken care of before. He had been so caught up with watching the numerous screens on his wall—screens that were flashing different areas of the dome—that he was genuinely taken by surprise when he had been interrupted.

In front of him stood Ryoma, who was watching him closely with those cat-like eyes that he hated so much. And behind the prince, staring at him anxiously, was Sakuno.

"Echizen Ryoma," he uttered, the name sounding rusty on his lips. "And Sakuno," he turned to look at the girl with his probing eyes. She hid from him, unable to stand looking into those familiar eyes and features for much longer.

An easy smirk appeared on his handsome face as he said, "What a pleasant surprise. I guess I shouldn't have let my guard down."

"Cut the crap," Ryoma uttered, "Don't talk to us like you're familiar with us."

"I don't know what you're saying. Of course, I'm familiar with you. I've known you for years," Tezuka rebutted.

"_Sou'su ka?_" Ryoma mumbled wonderingly, "Now _I _don't understand what you're saying."

Ryoma narrowed his eyes, showing him his trademark arrogant smirk. "Because I'm pretty sure this is the first time I've met you, _Tezuka-san_."

* * *

5:10 am

Yukimura, Sanada, Yanagi, Inui, Tachibana, and Oshitari watched Shiraishi as he did his "business" over the Public Announcement (PA) system of the dome. They were all looking at him with skeptical eyes, but having no other choice, chose to trust him for now.

Chitose, on the other hand, just stood calmly on the back. He had full confidence on what Shiraishi was doing.

"How do we know that it's going to work?" Inui asked, tight-lipped. He didn't like not being able to do anything to help with the situation.

They saw Shiraishi shrug carelessly. "I guess we'll find out in a few minutes."

The regulars were getting pretty suspicious. There was something really fishy about Shiraishi's sudden knowledge about the bomb and all of these technical devices.

"Hold on a second," Tachibana said. "Care to explain why you know so much about these things?"

They saw Shiraishi pause and give them a cocky smirk.

"Of course, I should. A certain _tensai-san_ forced me to learn it, after all. Not to mention, it had worked the last two times I tried it. So just trust me on this one, 'kay?"

Did he just say _tensai-san_?

Sanada and Yanagi narrowed their eyes at Shiraishi. Yukimura was just scrutinizing him silently. They recognized that manner of speaking. But, it couldn't be, right? Impossible…

To their shock and amazement, they suddenly saw Shiraishi claw at his face and take off the artificial skin and wig. Concealed under it was another face that took all of their breaths away.

Shocking silver hair and mischievous eyes greeted them as if the person just defied the laws of mortality. He was perfectly scratch-free and unblemished. There wasn't even a single scar or cut on his arms and legs! Under their disbelieving stares, he only made a peace sign and said one word:

"_Puri_."

And the world was, once again, turned upside down.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

_Dun Dun Dunnnn_. I know there are a lot of cliffies and unexplained things in this chapter, but they would be explained in the next one (hopefully).

And yes, there was something that happened between the time that Ryoma and Sakuno first escaped their "trap room" and the next scene with them walking in the darkness. I omitted that for a particular reason but it will be discussed next time. So hopefully, nobody gets confused.

I'm not sure I'll be able to sneak in another chapter before New Year's Eve, but we never know, right?

Ah! I can't believe that the end is super near. I am just excited to finally get this story done. LOL.

Thank you, thank you, thank you so much everyone.

Hopefully, this is somewhat a happier chapter for you guys?

Don't forget to review!

**Japanese Vocab:**

_Akan_ – don't (Osakan dialect)

_Sou'su ka_ - Is that so? (in bratty language)


	44. Confrontation

**XLIV. Confrontation**

Tezuka raised a perfectly arched brow at the boy's words. "Have you gone mad?" he asked.

"I asked you to cut the crap," Ryoma answered in his ever so confident tone. "You're not fooling anyone here, Tezuka _Kunihito-san_."

Ryoma and Sakuno saw the blood drain from the supposed "Tezuka's" face when the prince mentioned his real name.

"You're Tezuka-_buchou_'s first cousin, aren't you? And your father was the original owner of this temple. No wonder you know this residence so well," Ryoma continued, knowing that he has already zeroed in on the real facts.

Sakuno let out a gasp when Kunihito suddenly snatched his eyeglasses away from his face and threw it against the wall next to him in fury. Its glasses shattered into tiny sparkly pieces as it crashed against the wall and fell to the floor. Unlike the real Tezuka, he didn't actually need to wear glasses.

Gone was the controlled expression on Kunihito's face. It was replaced by unveiled anger. His eyes had also turned bloody cold. It reminded Sakuno so much of her latest nightmare.

"How did you know?" he raged at Ryoma. "You couldn't be that _smart_, you little brat."

Ryoma shrugged as if figuring out his real identity was a piece of cake for him.

"Honestly, I didn't really figure it out until just a few minutes ago. We've connected the attacks on the tennis players back to Kenji Yamamoto's demise and we've managed to connect _buchou_'s name to Yamamoto. So we visited_ buchou_'s house and looked for evidence. We saw pictures of your tennis outings here at the temple. One of them was a group picture of all of you."

Kunihito paled even more when he heard the prince's last sentence. He had been so sure that his image was never captured in any of the shots they took during their weekly camps. After all, he hated to be caught on camera. He was never a public person.

But he had completely forgotten about that one group photograph. Kenji Yamamoto had begged him to join that group picture, and as he idolizes the kind tennis player, he wasn't able to do anything but comply. Who knew that it would cause him so much trouble years later on?

"There was something about the temple in those pictures that bugged me so I decided to ask for the address. And here we are."

"How did you get past all of the traps? I was so sure—"

"We didn't," Ryoma admitted. "Ryuzaki and I actually fell into one of your trap doors. And while we were in that suffocating room, I finally had more time to look at your group picture with Kenji Yamamoto. I took a picture of it on my phone. Anyway, when I was randomly looking for Tezuka-_buchou_, I spotted him immediately at the back of the group. But when I moved my eyes to the faces on the front, I was bewildered to see his face again. The one in front is actually you. You look almost exactly like _buchou_, except for the fact that your hair was a little longer. Even Ryuzaki made the mistake of pointing to you when I asked her to look for Tezuka-_buchou_ in that picture. That's when this crazy idea formed inside my head—that maybe, somebody has been impersonating Tezuka-_buchou_ and putting all the blame on him, more importantly, someone who was also connected to Yamamoto," Ryoma's eyes glinted mischievously.

Kunihito let out a hollow, chilling chuckle. It was evidence that he _is_ the cold-blooded murderer who had been plaguing their lives these past few days. Not to mention, he was also currently wearing the infamous black coat, which was now very familiar to them.

"You make me laugh. Are you playing as a god now? You figured out my identity just because of one picture?"

"It was mostly guess work. I cheated a little." Upon that admission, Ryoma closed his eyes and smirked in mirth. "I had someone check out the real facts for me."

"Someone?" Kunihito repeated incredulously.

"_Aa_, he was also the one who helped us escape from that trap room."

As if on cue, Ryoma and Sakuno's "rescuer" appeared on the door at that moment.

* * *

Niou placed a black square object that looked like a small speaker in front of the microphone of the dome's PA system. The regulars just stood watching him as the trickster had said that he'll explain things to them right after he deactivated the bombs. As to how Niou was planning to deactivate them, well, they were curious to find out.

The trickster tapped the microphone to test if the sound will really travel throughout the entire area of the dome. When he heard the satisfying sounds of his taps coming out from the speakers in the room, in the hallway, and even in the tennis courts, he was satisfied.

He then pushed the "on" button of his "small speaker" and waited for the sound waves to travel and echo through the speakers.

The tennis players almost jumped in surprise when they suddenly heard a faint _beep_ on their shirts as each of the modified bombs was deactivated one by one. Niou let his sound waves do their magic for at least five more minutes. He wanted to make sure that they reached and deactivated every single pin.

Before long, Yukimura glanced at the clock and confirmed that they had just passed the "time limit" without any of the pins exploding. It was already 5:31 am and they were all still safe and sound. That just means that Niou was successful. He had really deactivated the bombs.

Silence followed that realization. The regulars stood there, unable to believe that they had just escaped certain death by mere minutes.

Yukimura was the first to break the tension as he said with a smile: "Well done, Niou."

"To be honest, I didn't really know if it'll work," the trickster admitted, half-jokingly.

"What—?" Sanada started but forced himself to forget about it. "Never mind, as long as you were able to accomplish it."

Oshitari frowned as his mind was finally free to wonder about something else, now that they didn't have to worry about being ripped to shreds.

"Does this mean—?" the blue-haired Hyoutei player trailed off as he sent a meaningful glance at Chitose on the back.

It was like déjà vu when the regulars saw Chitose claw at his artificial face and wig in order to reveal his real persona. The brunette Rikkai player took out his glasses from his pants' pockets and put them on before he turned to fully face them.

"Yagyuu…" Sanada uttered, disbelief still clearly written on his wide-eyed stare.

"_Sumimasen_ for deceiving you all," the gentleman player said with an apologetic smile. He slightly bowed his head to show his sincerity.

"Now that the bombs are taken care of, I demand a _full_ explanation right at this moment, you two!" Sanada commanded urgently, looking from Niou to Yagyuu, and then back to Niou again. He was having a hard time controlling his emotions—what with the ups and downs of recent events. It was as if his emotions were a roller coaster.

Niou chuckled. "You're so predictable, Sanada," he said in a kidding manner but quickly added a "_joudan ze yo_" when Sanada gave him a hellish stare. The strict _fukubuchou_ was a second away from throttling the trickster for pulling off such a dangerous stunt and making them believe that they actually died.

"To our defense, it was originally the idea of that_ tensai-_san from Seigaku. Since we needed to figure out where our enemy was holding the hostages, we decided to play his riddle game and make him believe as if everything was going according to his plan. That way, he'll become too confident and actually let his guard down. Right,_ tensai_-san?" he asked as he nodded at the person on the doorway. Everyone turned and was surprised to see the person Niou had just addressed.

"Correct," Fuji said with his eyes closed and the infamous smile back on his face. He walked into the room with Atobe following closely behind. The Hyoutei _buchou_ seemed to be back to his normal self as well.

"We wanted to make the illusion of our deception complete so we didn't tell some of you guys. Sorry for tricking you," the _tensai_ apologized.

"_Aa_, so that reaction I saw earlier was just for show?" Oshitari smiled wryly.

"_Sou desu yo_. It was pretty good acting, wasn't it?" Fuji replied, the sadistic smile never leaving his face. He then glanced at Atobe. "You didn't do so bad yourself."

Atobe just let out a proud grunt. "_Touzen da_. It is _ore-sama_, after all."

Yanagi casted an accusing glance at Yukimura, who didn't seem too surprised by any of these news. "You were in it as well, weren't you, Seiichi?"

Yukimura merely showed the data man his creepy _buchou_ smile. "Of course. From the moment Fuji asked to borrow Niou from us, I already guessed that this is what they had in mind. I was actually about to suggest the same thing myself."

"Y-Yukimura!" Sanada exclaimed, feeling somewhat betrayed. He looked at the rest of the regulars in the room. "Who else knew about this plan?"

"Aside from the doubles partners who were out looking for the bombs, no one else," Fuji answered.

"So I'm assuming that Eiji, Oishi, Fuji Yuuta, and Kabaji Munehiro are all safe as well," Inui stated, mostly wanting to confirm his teammates' safety.

"Yes," Fuji confidently replied, "they are currently in the hospital with Yuuta and Kabaji. The latter two needed medical assistance for the injuries they sustained, but Oishi had texted Atobe earlier that their wounds weren't serious. Kenya, Zaizen, Shishido and Choutarou offered to stay with them as well."

"That's certainly good news," Oshitari said as he breathed out a sigh of relief.

Tachibana turned his attention back to Niou. "How exactly did you pull off this 'illusion' of yours and manage to trick _him_ into believing that you actually died from the bomb explosions?"

"Easy," Niou answered. "We already figured out a long time ago that he was most likely watching our moves. How else was he going to make sure that we are actually playing his riddle games? Besides, I bet he'd want to witness our grief and anxiety every step of the way. I mean I would, if I were him."

The regulars simultaneously thought "heaven forbid" at that moment since they would obviously have a harder time dealing with the issue if Niou turned out to be their enemy.

"I knew that he would be installing cameras in the places where he hid the bombs containing the riddles. That's why I made sure to watch out for a 'special glint' of the camera lens inside that cave. You should all know how easy it is to fake an explosion in front of mere cameras. Of course, we also dramatized farewell speeches before then. That'll make him believe that the situation was real and that we were really preparing for our deaths by saying goodbye to each other. Once our 'drama' act was done, I simply dropped a harmless firecracker that was strong enough to destroy the camera."

Niou paused and hid a grin at that point. He remembered that he voice-recorded Sanada's dramatic "please don't die, Niou" on his cellphone. He planned to add it to his collection of blackmail materials later on.

"After the camera's out of the way, I deactivated the bombs by messing up their configuration systems via specialized sound waves like I demonstrated here just a few minutes ago. It was a bit tricky since it is a method that is still being developed in technology facilities nowadays. But somehow, I made it work. Once the bombs were deactivated, we were free to get the riddle, leave the place, and then blow it up for real to cover up our actions. I left the other doubles teams instructions on how to deal with the bomb so they know what had to be done if they find the next one. "

"Not bad," Sanada couldn't help but compliment. The other regulars whole-heartedly agreed with him.

Niou just closed his eyes and shrugged off the compliment. "T'was no biggie."

"But when did you and Shiraishi switch?" Tachibana interrogated, slightly shifting their current topic.

At that question, the trickster let out a light chuckle. "That guy is _way_ smarter than I thought him to be. He was able to tell that there was another type of explosives used in the cave—the harmless firecracker I used to destroy the camera—just by examining the type of smoke that was released into the air after the explosion. He told me it was because his father is a pharmacist and he had more than enough time to experiment with certain chemical reactions back in his house. And so, he figured that something was up and knew that we were somehow still alive. We made the switch just when they were about to enter the dome. Shiraishi had caught me stalking you guys from behind a post. That was when they offered to switch places with me and Yagyuu so we can preserve our 'illusion' until we find the last bomb. He also gave me a 'heads up' that it might be the pins that our enemy just suspiciously sent us."

"As expected from Shitenhouji's perfect _buchou_," Inui commented, admiring the perfect captain's intellect.

"Speaking of Shiraishi, where exactly is he now?" Sanada inquired.

Another amused expression appeared on the trickster's face. "Well, as of right now, that guy is…"

* * *

Kunihito recognized the person as he came into the room and stationed himself right behind Ryoma and Sakuno.

"Shiraishi Kuranosuke," he acknowledged.

"_Nnnh~ ecstasy._" The perfect captain sent him a charming smile. "It's been a while since we last met. Though forgive me for saying that I didn't really enjoy our last encounter. You knocked me out and locked me up, after all."

Kunihito grunted in displeasure at his words.

* * *

It was indeed Shiraishi who had come to Ryoma's and Sakuno's rescue not too long ago.

_After he and Chitose switched places with Niou and Yagyuu, they decided to make themselves more useful by following Ryoma's group to Kyoto. The perfect captain had heard that the prince's group was heading to a temple that was previously used as a tennis camp by Kenji Yamamoto and Tezuka. With their recent realization that the murderer has a certain fondness for temples, he had a feeling that the youngsters could actually use more help since there's a high chance that they might stumble upon Tezuka himself. He had left Chitose outside the temple gates to serve as a "look-out" and so that someone can immediately call for help if something happened to him while he checked inside the temple. _

_Shiraishi and Chitose arrived at the place a few minutes after Ryoma and the others did so the courtyard was already free of booby traps by the time the perfect captain walked across it. Once he was inside the temple itself, he instantly detected that there was something more to the temple than it seems. He had visited enough old Japanese castles in Osaka to recognize an old house with booby traps when he sees one. In addition, there was this uneasy feeling in his gut that he just can't shake off. _

_His eyes had roamed across the open area in the temple and upon looking at the ground, noticed a tiny gap between the floorboards, positioned just slightly to his left. Curiously, the perfect captain inserted his finger and was surprised to feel a button inside the gap._

_Deciding to test his luck, he pushed it. And lo and behold, the wall on his left opened to reveal a staircase that lead downstairs. He took the path until he reached the "basement" section of the temple. He was about to wander farther ahead when his ears caught the sound of faint murmurs. It was coming from the corridor to his right. He traced the source of the sounds and soon came face to face with what appeared to be a barred room, with its walls made of wood. The voices he heard became more distinct then and to him, it sounded very much like Echizen and Sakuno. Judging from the fact that there was no other way into the room, he correctly deduced that they had been trapped inside. Shiraishi then looked around for any trigger to open the barred room, and after searching and feeling the area for about five minutes, found it—surprisingly—on the ceiling. There was another button installed there, that looked similar in size and shape as the button he had found earlier._

_Taking off one of his tennis shoes, he aimed it upwards and with a satisfied puck managed to hit the button dead on. It didn't take long before he heard mechanical sounds and saw the door of the barred room opening._

* * *

"When he found us, I asked Shiraishi-san if he knows a way to search for family records online through his phone," Ryoma continued to explain.

"Like I mentioned earlier, you look so much like Tezuka-_buchou_ that there's no way you two aren't related. Shiraishi-san had asked his teammates to help him search too and that's how we were able to find information about you. Apparently, _buchou_ has an orphaned cousin who had 'disappeared' from society right after his parents died. As the only son of the couple, that 'cousin' also inherited this temple. We found a picture of you from your family records online and matched your face to the one I saw at the group picture."

By then, Kunihito was already trembling—though more from anger and frustration than fear. How could they? How could these brats ruin everything he had carefully planned for?

"Your riddles and bomb threats have been foiled as well," Shiraishi interjected, now sending their enemy a cold look. "You thought that we have played your game exactly the way you wanted us to but in reality, we were the ones who have been deceiving you. Niou and the rest are very much alive and well. That Rikkai player has managed to find a way to deactivate your bombs and still get the riddles. _Hona_, your time limit has already passed and there are still no explosions from your dome screens," the perfect captain inclined his head towards the screens behind Kunihito to prove his point.

"That can only mean that Niou had also successfully deactivated your final bomb, or should I say, _bombs_," Shiraishi corrected.

"Not a bad plan as expected from _a Tezuka_," Ryoma commented offhandedly. "But if it had been really executed by Tezuka-_buchou_, he wouldn't have made so many mistakes. No offense," he added the last two words with a condescending smirk that literally made Kunihito's blood boil.

Ryoma suddenly narrowed his eyes coldly at Tezuka's cousin and asked in a low and dangerous voice, "Why are you doing this? We didn't have anything to do with Kenji Yamamoto's death. You have already taken care of the people who were directly responsible for his demise."

Tezuka's cousin bowed his head and started to chuckle quietly. In a matter of a second or two, his quiet chuckles have evolved to a loud maniacal laugh.

"Isn't it obvious?" he sneered at them, his face displaying an ugly scowl. "It's to get back at _him_. I did it to ruin that cursed Kunimitsu's life and make him pay for taking _everything _away from me! I want to give him a living hell by killing his friends off and ruining his entire life like he _ruined_ mine. That son of b****!" Kunito clutched his hair in anger as he thought of his cursed cousin—the very same cousin who had taken his dad from him. His tennis life. And even Kenji…

"Enough…Kunihito-san."

Everyone in the room turned their heads toward the source of the new voice that came from the door. Though it had been familiar to Sakuno, Ryoma, and Shiraishi, the voice was distorted by the man's seriously battered state that they barely recognized it at first.

Sakuno couldn't help but gasp at the sight. She covered her mouth and clutched the back of Ryoma's jersey for support. She thought she will never see such a horrible thing again after her experience with the beaten-up Kirihara. But she had been wrong.

There in front of them was the real Tezuka Kunimitsu. His arms were around Hiyoshi's and Kirihara's shoulders, who stood on either side of him, supporting most of his weight.

His face was bloody with bruises and various cuts that covered his naturally handsome face. One of his eyes was closed due to too much beating and his other one was already half-closed. His clothes were tattered and had turned to a darker color thanks to all the blood that had seeped through and stained it. His legs were more slightly bent than they should've been, implying the fact that they had been broken. Despite of his condition, however, Tezuka continued to hold himself as confidently and calm as he always had.

If Kunihito had successfully managed to physically break him, Ryoma, Shiraishi, and Sakuno noticed with pride that he hasn't been successful in breaking Tezuka emotionally and mentally.

Sakuno was about to rush to Tezuka's aid but Ryoma grabbed her arm and held her back.

"We found him in a prison cell when we fell into a different area of the temple," Hiyoshi explained, mostly for Sakuno's, Ryoma's, and Shiraishi's benefit.

"_Sou'su yo_! We wanted to get him medical assistance right away but he led us to this place instead. He somehow knows the hidden passageways in this place really well," Kirihara added, looking at Tezuka with a hint of concern in his eyes. After all, he knows how much Sakuno cares about the stoic captain.

The junior ace finally turned his head to fully look at the brunette. He was glad to see that she had remained unharmed and well. However, just as he thought, a horrified expression was currently displayed on her face as she continued to stare at Tezuka. He can only imagine the pain that she felt as she helplessly looked at her beaten up _nii-san_.

"Your vengeance is against me..." Tezuka continued, addressing Kunihito alone.

They all saw the stoic captain take one painful deep breath before continuing. "…I, alone, should be punished by your anger."

Kunihito's cold laugh resounded within the room once again. He looked at Tezuka as if he was slime.

"_Of course_ you will say something hypocritical like that, 'Mitsu. You are the noble and the perfect Tezuka Kunimitsu, after all. You have been treated as a god ever since you were a child," Kunihito sputtered, real venom in his voice.

"_Ara, your boy is really smart, Ayana. I am so jealous."_

"_Yes, he's so adorable and perfect. Is there anything he couldn't do at all?"_

_There was an embarrassed giggle, but the fond smile on her face spoke for itself. She was really proud of her son, as well. "Aww, don't say such embarrassing things. My Kunimitsu still has a long way to go. For one, he can be less anti-social."_

"_No need to be so modest. He is such a gifted child—skilled at everything he does, even at such a very young age._ _No wonder even Kunikazu-sama is particularly fond of him."_

_Young Kunihito stood forgotten off to the side as the girls in his family continued talking about his younger cousin. He was vexed, though he started to get used to it. Ever since Kunimitsu was born, everything has been about him. It was basically as if he didn't exist anymore. But why? Is it because he's not as smart as his younger cousin? Is it because he's not as perfect? Why do they just ignore him like that?_

"You stole _everything _from me!" Kunihito yelled. "My place in the family, my life, even _otou-san_…"

_He was crying at his father's deathbed, feeling completely worthless and useless. He honestly thought that he could prevent his death. He had been folding as many paper cranes as he can—he had folded far more than a thousand cranes. If he has done as the legend dictated, then why didn't his father's illness go away? Why did he get worse? He felt that it was somehow his entire fault._

_And then he heard a low moan as his father blindly raised a hand as if reaching for something. "..K-Kuni…" he stuttered but Kunihito was already by his side and quickly held onto his hand._

"_Otou-san, I'm here. It's okay, I'm not leaving you. Everything will be okay," he sobbed, tightening his grip on his father's hand for support._

_But his father roughly pushed his hand away, as if shunning his presence. "Kuni…Kunimitsu…I need Kunimitsu…Summon him here…"_

_Never had he been so hurt by his father's fondness of his younger cousin until then. Even at his deathbed, he was still preferring Kunimitsu over him…_

_Unable to do anything for his dying father, he simply closed his eyes in agony and openly cried out—though this time, mostly for himself._

"And when I finally found some comfort in tennis, you also decided to take that from me! You were never satisfied, were you, 'Mitsu? You had to take everything! Even Kenji-san, the only person who I thought truly appreciated my worth—you…you took him away from me as well!" Kunihito was gritting his teeth in pure anger, his eyes had turned into narrowed slits as he continued to stare at Tezuka in hatred.

"_Kenji-san, I want you to judge this new serve I'm developing, I think you'll be surprised at how powerful it is," he excitedly told the older tennis player. Kenji apparently didn't hear him as he was too busy watching a match between one of his friends and Kunimitsu._

_Kunihito duly noted that Kenji had an impressed look as he continued to watch Kunimitsu move in the court. _

"_Your little cousin is really something, isn't he?" Kenji started to mutter, without taking his eyes away from Kunimitsu's match. "I've never seen such talent and skill in a young boy before. I bet he'll be an awesome tennis player when he grows up. Heck, he can even go pro if he wants to."_

_Unbeknownst to Kenji, Kunihito had clenched his fist as he heard his words. In fact, he had clenched it so hard that it dug into the skin of his palm, drawing blood out._

"Your life has always been anything but perfect compared to mine. And when you found out how good you were in tennis, things went _even better_ for you. Everyone started to worship you, treating you like a god! You had it so easy and I hated you for it! I despised you! I have always wanted to get back at you for ruining my life!"

Kunihito paused as a crazy glint suddenly flashed in his eyes. "And then a few years ago, I found out the truth about Kenji-san's death. I had been so angry at those gaudy tennis players who had killed Kenji-san that I instantly vowed to kill them. They thought that they were superior to everyone else just because they were so good at tennis. Heh, in a way, they reminded me so much of you! That was when I started planning for my revenge. Revenge for Kenji-san's death, but more importantly, revenge against _you_! I planned to kill all of your tennis acquaintances and frame you for it. It wasn't that hard since we already look alike. I just needed to pretend to be you.

"Everything went perfectly fine except for one tiny fact," Kunihito's murderous eyes suddenly turned to Sakuno as he jabbed his finger in the air, pointing at her. "She had accidentally taken a picture of me as I was on my way to kill that useless Akutsu Jin. It didn't matter since I was disguised as you but if she was to reveal that information and get you arrested early, the rest of my plans will be foiled! So I tried to get rid of her but obviously failed. Somehow, right after Akutsu Jin was hospitalized, you also found out that I was the one who had been doing the killing and confronted me about it. And as you already know, I just decided to knock you out and keep you in that prison cell until the rest of my plans are completed."

Kunihito began to pant as he was breathless from the amount of emotions he managed to vent out.

"But it seems that everything has been put to waste since you all managed to outsmart me somehow. I underestimated you _but_…"

They watched in vain as he suddenly took out a gun from his coat pocket and pointed it at them. Using his other hand, he also took out a rectangular remote.

"…you underestimated me as well," he finished with a wicked grin.

"What I have here is a detonator to the back-up manual program installed in the modified pins that are currently on most of your friends' chests at the moment," he inclined his head towards his monitors for emphasis. To their absolute horror, they saw that most of the tennis players are still inside the dome playing, talking, and packing things.

"With one push of a button in this remote, I am able to set off all of the bombs at once, and no one—not even your clever trickster—can do anything to disable this."

Kunihito let out another dark and hollow laugh. "So why don't you take one last look at your friends through the screen while you still can?"

It seemed as if every regular in the room started to move at once, but Kunihito was faster.

He aimed the gun at Shiraishi—he was smart enough to take out the most threatening one first.

_Bang_. _Bang._

Then at Hiyoshi.

_Bang. Bang._

Then at Tezuka—but Kirihara had moved to cover the stoic captain's body with his own and was hit instead.

_Bang. Bang._

He was about to aim at Ryoma, but by the time he turned, the boy was already gone and the next thing he knew was that he had been tackled to the ground. The gun and the detonator have both been knocked out of his hands by the sheer force of the attack. They slid on the floor away from him.

Ryoma and Kunihito tried to get up at the same time, intending to grab the items before the other can. As it turned out, Kunihito was able to reach the gun first, but Ryoma got the detonator which landed further away from them.

Meanwhile, Sakuno was completely paralyzed in shock as she was facing the view of the bloody massacre before her.

One of Shiraishi's legs has been hit badly, preventing him from moving much in his injured condition. He had been hit twice in the same leg. And though he appeared to be okay, he was breathing heavily and wincing in pain from his wounds.

Hiyoshi had been hit on the shoulder and on one of his arms. Like Shiraishi, he was also still somewhat conscious.

The most seriously wounded among them was probably Kirihara…

Since he had covered Tezuka with his body, he wasn't able to dodge the bullets well enough to avoid fatal injuries. As of the moment, the junior ace was lying on his stomach on the ground, unconscious. Blood had started to pool under him from the two gunshots that pierced his back.

On the other hand, Tezuka was still partly supported by Hiyoshi, but the Seigaku captain was almost falling to the ground, now that he had lost Kirihara's support.

Sakuno found herself unable to breathe as she continued to stare at the site before her.

She can't cry…can't scream…nor force her eyes to close so she can escape the bloody view.

She was just…literally frozen in shock.

"Echizen," Tezuka suddenly called out. His voice was weak but urgent. "Destroy the detonator," he ordered.

At the moment, their top priority was to save the tennis players gathered at the dome. Yes, they were all seriously wounded but they can't afford to let themselves worry about that for now.

Quick as a cat, Ryoma raised a hand, intending to smash the detonator against the floor at once. But before he can accomplish the task…

_Bang!_

Ryoma felt a sharp pain in his shoulder as he was apparently shot by Kunihito. His grip on the detonator had weakened though he still didn't let it go.

"Give the detonator to me and you won't be hurt anymore," Kunihito prodded. "Believe it or not, you're the only one among all of these tennis players who I don't intend to kill."

Ryoma just glared up at him, wincing as he tried to stop the bleeding on his shoulder using his other hand.

"Kenji-san had a great admiration for your father. Out of respect for him, I tried not to hurt you during this whole ordeal. But you were stubborn and continued to get in my way, so of course, you still eventually got hurt. Now, just give me the damn detonator and I will spare your life."

Despite of the pain in his shoulder, the first year prodigy smirked cockily at Kunihito and uttered his trademark bratty reply.

"_Yada_."

And just as Ryoma was about to smash the detonator again, another gunshot rang in the air and the female scream that followed it instantly froze the prince in his position.

Turning his head, he stiffened in alarm when he saw that this time, Kunihito had shot Sakuno in the arms, instead of him.

"Since your safety is obviously of no importance to you, you leave me no choice but to threaten hers instead," Kunihito explained, letting out a dark chuckle at the end. Before Ryoma could react, Kunihito had already moved to grab Sakuno. With one of his arms around her neck, he held her against his body and pointed the gun at her head. The poor brunette could only tremble in Kunihito's arms as blood freely ran down her arm from the recent shot she sustained.

"If you don't give me the detonator by the time I count to five, I'll pull the trigger. So choose wisely, Echizen Ryoma…"

Kunihito smirked wickedly as he looked directly into Ryoma's darkened yellow eyes.

"Her life or theirs?"

For the first time in his life, Ryoma literally felt all the blood draining from his face.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Okay, so I finished one chapter before New Year's eve after all. It was mostly because I was inspired by your reviews. So thank you!

I didn't really have fun writing the first half of this chapter since it mostly consists of explanations, but that's okay since I had a little more fun with the last part. Sorry if it was a little bloody.

I was amused to find out that most of you suspected that Kenji was the real murderer. That's actually a pretty good plot twist. Now I'm kind of sad that I didn't think of that before. Lol.

But yeah, hopefully, this chapter clears up all of the mystery in the story. If there's anything that's still confusing you, don't hesitate to ask, since I most likely just forgot to explain it. Hahah.

Just for disclaimer's sake, Kenji Yamamoto and Kunihito and his parents are just my OC's. I'm not even sure if Tezuka has any canonical uncles or aunts. Hahah.

Two more chapters left!

Please, please, _please_ don't forget to review! They will inspire me again to update ASAP :)

**Japanese Vocab:**

_Joudan ze yo – _Just kidding

_Sou desu yo _– that's right

_Touzen da_ – that's only to be expect; of course

_Otou-san_ – father; dad

_Hora_ – look

_Yada_ – I don't want to; No way


	45. Too Late

**XLV. Too Late**

_No matter how much I love you...  
__**not even a third**__ of my feelings could get across to you_

_- 1/3 no Junjou no Kanjou _by Siam Shade_  
_

* * *

The three other regulars in the room felt the blow of Ryoma's dilemma as they watched the scene in front of them, unable to do anything in the current situation. They know that once they make a move, Kunihito would not hesitate to pull the trigger and with the gun pointed right against the side of Sakuno's head, they couldn't risk anything.

"Kunihito-san," came Tezuka's strained voice. For the first time, he actually sounded angry. "She has _nothing_ to do with _any_ of this."

"Oh, but she does!" Kunihito spat back, "Remember? She's the one who first _ruined_ all of my plans!" He pressed the gun harder against Sakuno's head and the regulars saw her flinch from the pain. "She's very much as deserving to die as any of you."

Tezuka tried to take a deep breath, trying to keep his emotions in control. "If you have to kill anyone, then kill me. I'm the one who made your life a living hell."

"Shut up, 'Mitsu! Like I'd let you get away that easily. I want you to experience the same living hell you put me through!"

"…Sa-chan…"

All of them were startled by the sudden voice that came from the ground. The sound of Sakuno's scream had gotten through Kirihara and had woken him up from his unconscious state. And though he was badly injured, it was as if his mind was forcing his body to endure just for her.

The junior ace fought to keep his eyes open as he started to crawl towards the brunette. However, his body was too incapacitated to make much progress.

Shiraishi, who had moved closer to Kirihara in order to stop some of the bleeding on his back, tried to restrain him from moving, but the junior ace was stubborn and continued to struggle uselessly towards the brunette.

"…Let her go…I'll _kill_ you…"

As Sakuno watched Kirihara on the ground, her gaze began to blur from the tears that started to collect in her eyes.

Why is he doing that? She doesn't deserve any of his affections…his feelings.

And no matter how many times she made it clear to him that she can never love him like the way he loves her, he still…

Kirihara sucked up a painful breath and continued to crawl, raising a hand as if trying to desperately reach for the girl.

"Sa…chan…"

The junior ace's eyes focused in and out as his world started to swirl around him. He was a second away from passing out again.

"That's enough, Kirihara-kun. Don't move much," Shiraishi cautioned the boy. He noted with relief that this time, the junior ace had passed out again as he lay still and unmoving on the ground next to the perfect captain.

Kunihito just laughed at the pathetic display and turned his attention back to Ryoma.

"Enough of this drama. Give me the detonator or I'll blow her brains out. And don't even try to make any funny move because I can assure you that your inhuman speed wouldn't stand a chance against a flick of a finger. You better decide fast! My forefinger is itching to pull the trigger."

Ryoma was so still that the others weren't sure if he was still conscious. His cat-like eyes were frozen in a state of indecision. He wasn't doing anything but just staring at Sakuno and Kunihito.

"One…" Kunihito started to count. A malicious devilish grin was plastered on his face.

Hiyoshi, Tezuka, and Shiraishi simultaneously tensed. Kunihito had started counting, and he only gave Ryoma up to five before he pulls the trigger!

"Two…"

Sakuno's tears were openly flowing down her face by then. The look on Ryoma's face was breaking her heart. Never had she seen him look so lost and scared as he was at the moment.

"Three…"

Blinking away her tears, Sakuno decided to help the boy.

"It's okay, Ryoma-kun. You know he's going to kill me anyway no matter what your choice will be. So _please_, just do what you must. I'll be okay." Despite of the fear that she felt as the gun was pressed against her temple, she bravely smiled for him.

The smile that he adored so much and which always gave him that warm feeling inside.

"I'll be okay. Please save them. _Please_, I'm begging you." Her words broke but she retained the smile for him.

Ryoma closed his eyes in agony, knowing all too-well what he must do. She was right.

He had no choice.

It's one life against so many, and it's only logical to…

"Four…"

Ryoma raised a hand, ready to smash the detonator in his hands.

Kunihito felt beads of sweat forming on his forehead. He honestly thought that he'd win this game. The boy's main weakness is the girl he was currently holding. Is he able to just coldly sacrifice her life for his teammates and other tennis friends? Maybe she doesn't mean as much to the prince as Kunihito thought.

'_Gomen_…' Ryoma apologized to Sakuno in his mind. 'I'm no good, after all. I _always_ fail you,' he thought as he was ready to crush the device in his hand.

"_Ryoma-kun…"_

_Those smiles that he loves so much would be gone._

"_I love you more than anything in this world…"_

_She would be gone._

"Fi—"

"Alright!" Ryoma yelled, the uncharacteristic loudness in his voice echoing through the tension-filled room.

Kunihito paused and looked at the boy expectantly.

Ryoma's bangs were covering the expression in his eyes.

"You win," the prince gritted out in a defeated tone. "I'll give you the detonator. Just…don't hurt her."

The prince was kneeling in front of Kunihito now, as if begging.

Hiyoshi, Tezuka, and Shiraishi stared at him in shock. Is he serious?

Even Sakuno was staring at him as if she couldn't believe what was happening.

'Ryoma-kun...'

No, this is not right. Why would he? He couldn't…he chose her over them?

Kunihito's maniacal laugh immediately followed Ryoma's admission of defeat. It was just as he thought. Women are the death of men. Girls just have that magical power that can easily break even the strongest men's resolve.

"Good boy," Tezuka's cousin uttered in his cold voice. "Now hand it over. Hurry!" he said, once again pushing the gun harder against Sakuno's temple to prove his point.

At first, Sakuno really couldn't believe that Ryoma was giving up. He most likely has a plan. He has to have one…he couldn't just…

But then, Ryoma finally looked up at them and she saw in his yellow eyes, which looked so dead and defeated, that he truly meant every word he said. He really chose her over them.

Ryoma will carry the burden of being responsible for his friends' deaths because of her.

Because he _loves_ her. Because he couldn't bring himself to sacrifice her.

It was only then that she truly realized the depth of the boy's feelings for her.

He was willing to sacrifice _everything_—literally his everything—just to keep her safe.

Sakuno felt more tears pooling in her eyes.

'No…' she thought as she saw in horror that Ryoma had stood up, detonator in his hand, and was now slowly approaching Kunihito to hand over the device.

Hiyoshi, Tezuka, and Shiraishi have also tensed as they watched the boy approach the mad man.

Sakuno closed her eyes and turned her head away from Ryoma's lifeless eyes.

'I can't let him do it…' she thought desperately. 'I can't let Ryoma-kun carry that burden.'

No, she couldn't.

She loves him way too much to bring him down.

And though she would gladly sacrifice her life to save him from the trouble, she knew that she couldn't die as well. That will also break him.

She desperately thought of anything she can do. She can bite down Kunihito's arm that was around her neck, but knew that it wouldn't be enough. She also had to hit him from another angle in order to confuse him long enough to grab the gun away from him.

But what can she hit him with?

She has nothing with her at the moment—not even her cellphone!

But hold on a second…

She stilled as she felt the blunt cylindrical handle of something in her shorts' pocket—her flashlight!

Yes, Hiyoshi had given her a flashlight but since it ran out of battery, she remembered stuffing it in her pocket as she didn't want to throw it away. Thankfully, it was small enough to fit.

Sakuno started to clench her right hand to test if Kunihito would notice. As he was too busy watching Ryoma's every step, he neglected to pay much attention to her.

'Thank goodness,' she thought.

Unlike Kunihito, the other regulars in the room had noticed the movement of her hand and deduced that the girl was planning something. They could only hope that it would work without them suffering from any consequences. For now, they aren't able to do anything but just prepare themselves to back her up once she makes her move.

Slowly, Hiyoshi dropped Tezuka to the ground. The stoic captain used his hands to temporarily prop himself up. They breathlessly watched Kunihito's facial expression to see if he had noticed them moving. Fortunately for them, Tezuka's cousin was still too focused on Ryoma to pay much attention to their moves.

Now that Hiyoshi was free from the responsibility of holding Tezuka up, he can also try to spring into action, if need be, though his injuries might slow him down a bit.

By then, Ryoma was only two feet away and was steadily approaching Kunihito and Sakuno.

Sakuno knew that she had to attack now, or it might be too late. She took one deep breath and then moved as fast as she can without thinking of anything but her mission—she ignored the pain in her shoulder and her arm, and just concentrated on her speed.

Kunihito grunted in pain when he realized that Sakuno's teeth had sharply clamped down his arm. He had loosen his grip on the gun for a second. But before he can get the sense to reposition the gun next to the girl's head again, he felt something blunt hit him right on the forehead.

It made him dizzy and he stumbled back a bit.

Within a second, Sakuno had snatched the gun away from his grasp. It proved easier since Kunihito was weakened and nauseated by the recent attack on his head.

She hit his head again with the blunt end of the flashlight before throwing the gun towards the other regulars' way for safekeeping. It was Shiraishi who had caught the murderous weapon in the air.

Upon her second attack on his head, Kunihito was completely disoriented and he soon fell to the ground, unconscious.

Realizing that Sakuno was free of danger, Ryoma instantly gained enough sense to quickly smash the detonator against the ground. It broke into pieces—its wiring, screws, and other components spilling on the floor.

Time seemed to temporarily freeze as the reality of what just happened slowly began to sink into Sakuno's and Ryoma's minds. As she saw the pieces of the detonator on the ground, Sakuno had thought with relief that they had accomplished it! They had won!

Looking back at Ryoma, her eyes began to tear up again as she gave him one of her sweetest smiles. Ryoma stared back at her with a hint of relief in his eyes as well.

They had won! It's finally over!

"GET DOWN!"

_Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang._

The scream registered too late in their minds. They were too caught up in their moment to have noticed anything else.

Sakuno will forever remember seeing the shock and horrified expression in Ryoma's eyes as he stared at her during that time.

There had been denial, agony, pain, anger, frustration, guilt…

They were all somehow in his eyes as he was frozen like an ice and just continued to stare at her.

She then started to feel the full-blown pain on her chest and looked down to see red liquid—tons of them—starting to seep through the jersey that Ryoma had lent her.

And as if in slow motion, her knees gave out and she started to fall to the ground.

Through blurry vision, she saw Ryoma finally snap out of his initial shock and rush to her side in order to catch her.

* * *

Kunihito had a maniacal glint in his eyes as he saw that he had been successful. He had killed the girl! The one who is apparently valued so much by the regulars—especially Kunimitsu, Kirihara, and that Echizen Ryoma.

He took solace in the thought that he had killed the person who mattered the most to them—even if he had failed in killing everyone else.

While he was on the ground pretending to be knocked out, he had sneakily taken out his extra gun that had remained hidden in a crack in the wall and then fired at the girl without hesitation.

Sakuno was blocking him from Ryoma's sight, and as the prince was too focused on the girl back then, he altogether didn't notice Kunihito's movements.

The other regulars had also been too busy watching the dome screens—confirming their friends' safety—to pay attention to Kunihito's movements. After all, they had seen him get knocked out on the ground.

And when they finally saw Kunihito pointing a new gun at Sakuno, it was already too late.

Shiraishi had reacted first as he used the gun he recently caught and fired at Kunuhito's hand. As a result, Kunihito was only able to shoot at the girl four times because Shiraishi's shot had knocked the gun out of his hand.

He would've wanted to fill her petite and fragile body with more bullets if he had the chance. Nevertheless, Kunihito was satisfied.

He wanted revenge and he got it.

He laughed maniacally even as he felt someone restrain him.

Hiyoshi had gotten to his spot. The _Gekokujou_ player roughly grabbed both of his arms, pushed him face down on the ground, and held him that way.

But Kunihito didn't care what happens to him anymore.

He turned his head in order to catch a glimpse of Tezuka's face.

Even as bruises and cuts covered the Seigaku captain's profile, Kunihito saw the shock that registered on Tezuka's face as he saw Sakuno fall from the shots.

Finally! He managed to get through his cousin's seemingly impenetrable emotional barrier. And to him, that counted as victory.

* * *

Kirihara's eyes had immediately snapped open when he heard the gunshots. Even in his unconscious state, he was able to sense that something had happened to her.

His narrowed green eyes tried to focus on the site in front of him. Upon registering Sakuno's bloody condition as she fell into Ryoma's arms, his eyes had widened beyond belief and instantly turned blood-red.

His Sa-chan…

His Sa-chan had been shot…

"_AAAARGGGGHHHHH_!" His scream had been guttural and animalistic. It surprised Hiyoshi, Shiraishi, and even Tezuka. They saw the junior ace forcing his abused body to get up from the ground so he can approach the brunette.

Shiraishi was quick to restrain him, however, knowing too well that at Kirihara's current state, he will die if he continued to push his body. The perfect captain was surprised to find that even though the junior ace was weakened, he was having a hard time restraining the boy.

"LET ME GO! SA-CHAN! SA-CHAN!" He had completely gone devil mode and was losing more blood from his body than ever. The junior ace was thrashing wildly, forcing to get away from Shiraishi's grasp.

Eventually, the perfect captain had no choice but to hit a pressure point on Kirihara's neck in order to knock him out.

Kirihara's body instantly ceased moving and his eyes started to close.

Though he continued to call out Sakuno's name desperately.

"…Sa-chan…Sa…chan…"

And soon, he fell unconscious once again.

"Hand me your phone," Tezuka suddenly ordered the perfect captain. Shiraishi immediately took out his phone from his pocket and tossed it to Tezuka.

He watched as the stoic captain dialed a number in an unbelievable speed and waited impatiently for the other person to speak.

As soon as Tezuka got an answer, he started barking orders regarding how they need an emergency medical team and a helicopter ASAP. The perfect captain deduced that the Seigaku captain had called Atobe.

Shiraishi couldn't help but notice that he had never seen Tezuka look as disturbed as he had seen him then. He looked like he wanted to just break down and lose it, but Tezuka still continued to hold himself together. He knew he wouldn't be able to help Sakuno if he did otherwise.

It was understandable. Shiraishi, himself, was worried about the brunette's condition. She had been shot too many times and around her chest too—a fatal area. By now, he was sure that it'll be close to impossible to stop the bleeding without proper medical equipments.

He turned his head in order to check on the wounded brunette who was in Ryoma's arms. He saw that the prince was trying to press his hands against her wounds in a desperate attempt to stop the bleeding.

* * *

Ryoma was cradling Sakuno's upper body in his arms as if she was the most fragile thing on the planet.

'Damn it,' Ryoma thought, completely out of himself as he continued to press his hands against Sakuno's wounds. There was a lot of bleeding on her abdomen and also on her chest area. He didn't even know which one to tend to first.

There was too much bleeding.

He closed his eyes temporarily in an attempt to keep his emotions in check. He tried to keep them bottled inside, but they were starting to overflow.

He can't do it.

He just can't lose her.

There's no way!

_Please_…

Ryoma's eyes snapped open when he felt one of her hands settle gently on top of his own, which was currently pressed on her bleeding shoulder. Through cloudy vision, his yellow eyes focused on her angelic face. She was so pale at the moment. The thought scared him more than anything.

"…is…everyone…safe?…" she asked between labored breathing. There was a frown on her face, mostly because of the pain in her body, but also because she was anxious to know that the other regulars are going to be alright. She wanted to be assured before she…well, yeah…

Unbeknownst to Sakuno, her words had the effect of clenching Ryoma's heart in the most painful manner.

What the heck? She was literally dying and she was asking about everyone else?

"They're fine," Ryoma answered, almost too quickly. For some reason, he wanted her to keep talking to him. In that way, he'll be reassured that she's still alive and breathing. That she's not leaving him.

"Heh," he breathed out, a sad version of his confident smirk appearing on his face. "They all survived so now we can go to that stupid trip you wanted to go to. It'll be annoying, but I guess it's a good way to escape from _buchou_'s torturous hundred laps around the court."

He turned his hand sideways, meeting her own and covering it with his.

"So just hang on," he whispered, his eyes pleading her. "Don't you dare, Ryuzaki…" He tightened his grip on her fingers.

He found himself silently cursing in his mind. Why the heck is the reinforcement taking so long? He needed them right away! If not… she will…

Sakuno wasn't sure but she thought she saw something shining from Ryoma's eyes.

Is he…crying?

He looked so sad, so broken…

And she didn't like it.

She never wanted to see him in pain.

The brunette was almost succumbing to the gentle lull of unconsciousness when she felt Ryoma tighten his grip on her hand again.

"Don't!" he pleaded, this time in a harder tone, gritting his teeth. "Look, I've got to tell you something," he started to rant.

He wanted to keep her with him.

"I need to tell you something, but not in this crappy place, alright?" he chatted, wanting to give her an incentive to hold on to. "So hang on, you have to hear it."

But she was in so much pain and she just wanted to rest.

And Sakuno really didn't like the look of agony on his handsome face. It didn't fit there.

Using her remaining energy, she pulled her hand away from Ryoma's so she can raise it up and gently touch his face. Ryoma immediately followed her hand and covered it with his again as it rested on his cheek. His eyes never left hers.

Sakuno felt moisture on his face. Now she knows that he was really crying.

"_Daijou…bu_," she murmured, trying her best to give him one last smile. "It's finally over now… so please…don't worry…" Her words trailed off to just a soft whisper and to Ryoma's horror, he felt her hand that was on his cheek going limp. It threatened to fall back down but he held it firmly against his face.

"Ryuzaki!" he suddenly shouted.

There was no answer.

"_O-oi!_ Ryuzaki!"

He noted with unbelievable pain in his chest that her eyes had already closed and her angelic face relaxed into a peaceful expression.

The prince shook her one last time.

"Ryuzaki!"

But when she remained unresponsive, he finally bowed his head and allowed bitter tears to fall as he gritted his teeth to suppress the pain.

The girl who had always been there to smile for him…

The girl who he had unknowingly fallen in love with…

…_is now gone._

Ryoma hugged her limp body to his chest.

"Sakuno…" he finally whispered brokenly into her hair as he clung to her in a desperate manner, refusing to let go.

In the end, he wasn't able to do _anything_ to save the person he wanted to protect _the most_.

* * *

_If I could only pause time during the moments we were together,  
I would've…_

_But I know that it's a selfish and vain wish._

_Even at the last moment, I wasn't able to tell you how I really felt  
And now, no matter what I do,_

_It's already __**too late**__._

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Um, happy new year? XD *Gets shot*

The last quotation and the title of the chapter are based on Weiss Kreuz' "It's Too Late." It was what I listened to while I was writing this chappie.

As of right now, I'm debating between two endings. I still haven't fully decided on which one I'd use. But yeah, next chapter would hopefully be up soon.

It would most probably be like an epilogue, unless I choose the other ending. Hahah.

Pleeeeease review! I love reading your guys' thoughts and it was mostly because I got tons of your feedback that I decided to post this chapter early.

Thank you!

**Japanese Vocab:**

_Daijobu_ – I'm okay; it'll be okay


	46. Halcyon Days

**XLVI. Halcyon Days**

_I will never regret what I believed on that day.  
The day of parting is just another promise of our destiny._

_A lonely kiss as our hearts go separate ways,  
I wish I had met you in the past._

_Someday, I'll miss the painful memories._

- "_It's Too Late"_ by Weiss Kreuz

* * *

It was a sunny Saturday afternoon in Tokyo. Businessmen, students, civilians, and children loitered around the busy streets of the commercial district.

Despite of the normal fast-paced action going on outside, it was extremely peaceful inside the particular café where a group of teenagers were lounging. It was their free day, after all.

"I never thought I'd see the day when you would sulk around your favorite cake."

Jackal was staring at Marui Bunta as if he'd grown another eye. The site was just so out of this world for him, considering the fact that he had never seen a cake last for more than five minutes once Bunta lands his eyes on it.

Yagyuu and Niou, who accompanied the doubles partners to the café, were also giving their red-haired teammate amused stares.

The volley specialist shrugged uncaringly in response to Jackal's comment. "It's just not the same…" he commented with a heavy tone.

"Well _excuse_ me for not being able to bake a cake that's good enough for you."

They all turned their heads towards the girl who just approached their table, carrying a tray of drinks for each of them. She had a light scowl on her face as she was placing the drinks on their table.

"Aw, come on, Tachibana-chan," Bunta whined to placate the girl, "you know I didn't mean it in that way."

"I know." An sighed and a melancholy look suddenly came over her face. "I was just kidding anyway."

There was a pause as they all remembered the horrible nightmare they went through and the lasting consequences it left in their lives.

"It's been a month, huh?" Niou spoke, breaking the silence.

An just nodded, feeling somewhat depressed.

"I miss her," she whispered sincerely.

Yagyuu smiled at the Fudomine manager in an understanding way. "We all do. But you know that she wouldn't want us to act this way."

An returned the gentleman player's smile. "You're right. She's that kind of girl." Then, she suddenly remembered something she's been meaning to ask ever since the boys came into the café.

"How is that _idiot_ doing by the way?"

While An finds his presence annoying most of the times, she must admit that she was starting to miss his visits to the café.

"I asked him to come but that brat refused just like last time. He said he had homework to do." Bunta snorted. "Yeah right, as if he ever cared about homework before."

"It's like he knows…" Yagyuu mumbled with a slight frown.

"That can't be," Niou curtly rebutted and then raised his empty plate to An. "Can you get me some more of that chocolate cake you just baked from the kitchen? Unlike this guy," he inclined his head towards Bunta's direction, "I actually like it."

An sent the trickster a skeptical look though the flushed appearance of her cheeks indicated that she was pleased. "Really?"

Niou nodded. "Yap, it's pretty high class."

The younger Tachibana then smiled slightly at the trickster, noting that he has been a lot nicer to her ever since she got out of the hospital. He hasn't even pulled a single prank since then. Maybe the Rikkai player has also been changed for the better.

"I'll be right back," she soon said as she excitedly went behind the counter and into the kitchen to get the trickster's cake.

Niou leaned back on his seat and started counting in his head.

3…

2…

1.

The other Rikkai players simultaneously sat up straight when they suddenly heard a splash and then the sound of a metallic thing hitting the floor.

There was a 3-second gap of complete silence, and then came the outraged scream and An's frustrated mutterings about a "silver-haired monster who has no soul and thus would never ever change."

Yagyuu, Jackal, and Bunta automatically looked at Niou and sent him accusing stares.

"What?" Niou uttered, trying to put on an innocent face. When his teammates didn't buy his act, he finally let out the amused chuckle he had been trying to hold.

"She makes it _way too easy_."

Though they had a rocky start, the players were finally able to look forward to their lives retuning back to normal again. Of course, they wouldn't forget certain memories that they have all shared—happy times that they may never experience together again.

On the corner display table of the café, a gilded picture frame was standing. Inside is a photo that An and the Rikkai regulars particularly treasure.

In the picture, which was taken inside the same café about three months ago before everything happened, the Rikkai Dai boys—Niou, Yagyuu, Bunta, and Jackal—stood posed with Kirihara, Sakuno, and An in front of them. Kirihara had one of his arms around a blushing Sakuno while his other hand was making a peace sign. Bright smiles were all on their faces.

Below the picture was a one-line dedication that An had written:

_**No matter how much time will pass, our memories together will never fade from our hearts.**_

* * *

It was quiet and peaceful in the area of "their" secret lake—just the way he wanted it.

At the moment, Ryoma was sitting under the cover of a huge tree, his back leaning against its trunk as he rested idly.

He liked that place. It always reminds him of _her_. And though there were no fireflies fluttering around the area at that time, his mind can easily visualize her image dancing around the fireflies like on that night he took her to that place.

If only he was given a second chance…he'd take her there again.

And he would never hesitate unlike last time.

His eyes fluttered closed.

He was tired.

Tired of thinking about her.

He wanted a nap.

Maybe then he can temporarily escape reality and meet her in his dreams again.

He was about to succumb to one of his favorite hobbies when he felt a vibration inside his shorts' pocket. He tried to ignore it for about half a minute but when it didn't go away, he groaned and finally took out his phone.

Ryoma glanced at the caller ID and saw that it was Oishi calling. The _fukubuchou_ better not be calling for another "out-of-the-blue" training they recently started to have a lot of.

"_Uissu_," he muttered sleepily over the phone.

His cat-like eyes were half-closed but soon snapped wide-open in alert when Oishi started to explain why he was calling him.

The _fukubuchou_ wasn't even done explaining the situation when Ryoma suddenly hanged up, got up from his resting position, and grabbed his tennis bag that was lying next to him.

Within the next second, the prince was gone from the lake, leaving the place empty and quiet once again.

* * *

Ryoma was panting by the time he got to the hospital. He had sprinted the entire way to that location.

Once he turned a corner at the end of a hallway in the building, he was instantly greeted by the site of Tezuka and Oishi, who both appeared to be talking to a doctor and two nurses.

Their backs were facing him so they didn't sense the prince until he was only two feet away from them.

The tennis prodigy had no choice but to patiently wait for them to finish their "little talk." It'll be rude if he just barged in during their conversation. To his relief, not even a minute passed before the doctor finally finished what he was discussing and left with the nurses.

Still slightly out of breath, he approached Tezuka and Oishi, who both turned to finally acknowledge him.

"Echizen," Oishi greeted him with a teary smile. "She has woken up."

Ryoma felt like a huge burden had just been lifted off his chest. For a second, he forgot to breathe. It had been too close of a call.

By the time the helicopter arrived with the medical team, she had already lost her pulse. They had to use the portable electric defibrillator in order to restart her heart and he remembered watching in cold dread as her limp body refused to respond to the treatment even after the first two shocks. It was the third that finally did it, though the medical team was still worried about the massive loss of blood from her body.

They had transfused more blood into her but warned them that the damage might have already been done. The trauma her body experienced would most likely force her body to shut down and she would slip into a coma.

And she did…

One long month of unresponsiveness.

Thanks to Atobe's help, they were able to acquire a room for the brunette in a prestigious hospital and have the best medical team work on her condition. But even with them, her situation was hopeless.

They had honestly informed Ryoma and the other regulars that there's a high probability of her staying in a comatose state for the rest of her life.

They had prepared themselves for the worst, but also tried to remain positive. Tezuka, though still recuperating from his injuries during the first two weeks, almost never left her side. The same can be said about Ryoma as well as most of the Seigaku regulars. And even after a month had passed, they still visited her daily. They wanted to be there for her in case she wakes up one of these days.

And they hoped with all their hearts that she will.

From time to time, the regulars from other teams also paid her a visit—mostly because they were concerned, but also because they were grateful. She did save all of their lives without thinking of her own. And thus, they are forever in her debt.

Ryoma didn't hesitate a second longer, and finally asked Oishi, "Can I see her?"

He had been waiting so long for her to wake up and now that she finally has, he couldn't think he could wait a second longer.

Oishi turned to Tezuka with a consulting look in his eyes. "I think the doctor said we're allowed to see her. Right, Tezu—?"

To the _fukubuchou'_s and Ryoma's surprise, Tezuka was already walking away from them and towards Sakuno's room. They quickly moved to follow him, but he had gotten there first.

Before he shut the door, he muttered one surprising sentence to them in his ever-so-serious voice: "I get first dibs on her."

And then he shut the door on their faces, locking it after him.

For a few seconds, Ryoma and Oishi were stunned as they were left wondering whether they had heard the stoic captain right.

Did he just really say that? More importantly, since when had he started using slang?

'Dibs…?'

And then Ryoma got over the fact as he suddenly realized something else.

"That was under-handed, _buchou_!" he growled in annoyance at the closed door.

* * *

Tezuka approached the brunette slowly, not wanting to scare her. He did have his cousin's face, after all. Who knows what her reaction might be if she suddenly sees her attacker's image by her side? She might freak out.

He noticed that the girl was sitting up with her upper body leaning against the headboard. She was staring at a jar that is full of paper cranes on her bedside table. Most of them have been made by him, but some have been added by other regulars when they saw the jar by her bedside.

The captain watched as she turned her head towards him slowly. Her face was still very pale. To his surprise, there was no hint of fear or suspicion in her eyes when she saw him. It was as if she instantly recognized that it was him, and almost automatically, a warm smile appeared on her face.

"K-Kunimitsu-_nii_…" she called, her voice still weak from a period of temporary disuse.

Tezuka paused in his steps when he was about a foot away from her bed.

"I know that you also want to see the others, but within the next three minutes, Echizen would obtain the key to this room and barge in. The other Seigaku regulars will be arriving within an hour as well. I want to exchange a few private words with you before then," he explained to her in his ever-so-serious tone.

Sakuno maintained the smile on her face. She really didn't mind sharing a private moment with her _nii-san_. After all, it's been _so_ long since they actually talked to each other. She definitely missed him. She missed spending time with him.

"I'm in trouble, am I not?" Sakuno asked with a pout.

Tezuka closed his eyes, his silence indicating that his answer was in the affirmative. He was never lenient with her and he's not gonna start now.

"I told you to stay away from this dangerous business."

"_G-gomen_. After I learned that you were involved, I just couldn't," the brunette confessed.

Tezuka was quiet for about a second or two, before he finally said:

"Thank you."

Sakuno blinked and then gave him a confused look. "For what?"

"Believing in me the entire time."

He stared at her, his face remaining stoic, but she was able to sense the warmth in his words. This is Tezuka Kunimitsu she was talking to, after all. So even just a little bit of something coming from the ice captain already means a lot to her.

She was about to mouth a reply when Tezuka turned his head away from her and attacked her with his lecture again.

"But you were still careless. You should've never let your guard down," he said as he crossed his arms in front of him.

"_Haiiiii_," she just answered obediently, knowing she was being scolded mostly for worrying him too much. Besides, though she found it kind of hard to believe, she also missed his lectures.

"I missed you, Kunimitsu-_nii_," she finally said, wanting him to know about her feelings. "I am so glad to have you back with us."

Tezuka's shoulders stiffened a bit upon hearing her bold words of affection. However, his form gradually relaxed as seconds ticked by. He still wasn't used to participating in displays of affection, no matter how private the situation may be. But then again, he thought he can make an exception for her. He owed her that much after the extreme proof of faith and loyalty that she had given to him over the past weeks.

"Hn," he finally grunted as a reply.

Fortunately, he didn't need to say anything. She understood what he meant by that simple grunt.

_He missed her too._

And that's what he liked most about her. He didn't need to say things to be understood. She knows him that well.

Before they can continue their conversation, they heard the clinking of a metal from the door. It was instantly followed by the sound of the door opening in a rush and in came Ryoma, with Oishi following unsurely after the boy.

As Tezuka had predicted, Ryoma asked for the key to Sakuno's room from a nurse and forced his way in.

There was _no way_ he is going to let his Tezuka-_buchou_ hog Sakuno all day.

Though once he was inside, he found himself not being able to do anything but just stare at her.

She just stared back at him too.

It was pretty awkward, actually. He thought the moment would go more smoothly.

But then again, they were also being closely watched by two of their _senpai_'s. Not to mention, Tezuka was giving him "the look." The very same look a protective father would give his daughter's suitors.

And coming from Tezuka, it was more than intimidating. It's almost _creepy_.

"_A-ano…_" Sakuno started, her cheeks flushing for no apparent reason.

"Y-you—"

Ryoma glanced at Tezuka and was frustrated to find that the stoic captain didn't appear to have any intention to leave the room at all. How unfair. He had his moment with her already.

"Your hair is still too long," Ryoma finally said, not really wanting to say anything else in front of his other _senpai-tachi_. He had already made a fool of himself in front of the stoic captain while they were in the basement of the temple. He didn't need a repeat of the incident.

Oishi almost face-palmed while Tezuka just raised his eyebrows slightly. On the other hand, Sakuno found herself smiling fondly upon hearing the familiar statement.

_Some things will never change._

* * *

Sakuno's room soon became crowded as the other Seigaku regulars arrived to see her. They were among the first people Oishi called when he learned that Sakuno had woken up.

Naturally, Eiji had come rushing into the room, intending to engulf her in his bone-crushing hug.

Fuji had the right mind to grab Eiji's arm in time and effectively stop him from crushing the girl. The _tensai_ had kindly explained that she was still recovering so it's better not to put too much stress on her body at the moment.

Within a few minutes, she found herself surrounded by familiar sights:

Eiji hugging a very frustrated Ryoma, with Momo joining in to tease the prince about how concerned he was when his "girl" was in a comatose state. The poor boy could do nothing but mutter under his breath and lower his white cap to cover his flaming red cheeks.

Fuji and Taka were talking in a corner, finding amusement in Ryoma's frustration. Oishi was watching them with a smile as well.

Of course, Inui had his notebook open and was furiously writing down data about the "progress" in her and Ryoma's relationship based on the facts that Momo and Eiji allowed to slip out of their mouths as they continued to tease their "_ochibi_."

Sometime later, Momo randomly made a comment about Kaidoh's kill-joy attitude, which eventually turned to a full-blown bickering between them.

By then, Tezuka had picked up a book and started reading in a corner of the room to drown out the noise.

That was when Eiji suddenly came up to Sakuno, carrying a pretty big box. He turned over the box in the air and dumped an unbelievable amount of "get well soon" cards right on her lap.

"See, Sakuno-chan?" the acrobat said excitedly. "Tons of people looove you too. Though we were kinda selfish and didn't call them yet since we wanted to be with you first. Heheh." Eiji scratched his nose sheepishly, and soon pointed to a pile of flowers and gifts on another table in the corner of the room. "You have those as well."

The acrobat went back and forth the table and her bed as he tried to show her the gifts.

There was a bouquet of many beautiful and exotic flowers that came from Shiraishi. The Shitenjouji team had sent her a box full of rice cakes from Osaka as well.

There was a simple sunflower in a pot that came directly from Yukimura Seiichi's personal garden at his own house.

And of course, the Hyoutei team (courtesy of Atobe) had sent her bouquets of flowers of all sorts of colors and sizes. They were wrapped in expensive-looking papers.

There were more flowers and food sent by the Fudomine, St. Rudolph, and Yamabuki teams as well.

As there were tons of cards on her lap, Sakuno was eventually tempted to read them. She was curious to see who had sent them. To her surprise, she found that almost every tennis regular involved in the murderer business had written her a card.

Some were simple and sounded forced, as if somebody had threatened them to write the card.

"_**Get well soon already! —Shishido Ryou"**_

Some of them were funny like Zaizen's and Kenya's card.

**"**_**Dear damsel in distress,  
You overdid it a bit.  
—Zaizen Hikaru"**_

Following Zaizen's dedication were Kenya's words.

**"**_**Wake up soon and end my kouhai's misery! He is madly (**__**in-love)**__** amused with you. —Oshitari Kenya"**_

The word "amused" was written on top of the scratched out "in-love" and appeared to be Zaizen's correction to Kenya's dedication. To prove it, there was another line from Zaizen right below Kenya's words.

**"**_**P.S. Excuse the correction on top. My senpai is an idiot. — Zaizen"**_

Others were just plain surprising like Kintarou's card, which had messy scribbles all over it—front and back! The red-haired first year started off wishing her to get well soon but then went off in a tangent about other random and weird things. Nevertheless, she got what the boy was basically trying to say.

As she continued to inspect other cards, she also found some that had flattery and flowery language like Oshitari's card.

**"**_**Ojou-sama,  
May you awaken from your slumber soon and make a lot of princes happy. –Oshitari Yuushi"**_

Sakuno was amused to find that some of the cards were so personalized that she can tell who had sent them just by opening them—like Niou's and Sanada's cards for example.

Niou's had released an explosion of flour that covered her face right after she opened it. There was also a written **"**_**Yours truly—Masaharu Niou**_**"** next to a happy face inside the card.

On the other hand, Sanada's card contained an ancient _haiku_ that was personally written in the _fukubuchou_'s magnificent calligraphy. The brunette couldn't help but admire his sense of tradition.

Even Kabaji had sent her one! Though it was a typed up "get well soon" card that had **"**_**Ossu"**_ in his own handwriting along with his name below it.

The most eye-catching one among them was an expensive-looking card that looked slightly bigger than the standard one. It had a silver seal bearing the Hyoutei Gakuen's symbol in front of it. When she opened it, she was startled to discover that it was an invitation to an island resort set sometime during the Christmas break. It had stated that _**select**_ people along with the Seigaku, Rikkai, Hyoutei, Shitenhouji, Fudomine, St. Rudolph, and Yamabuki tennis regulars are invited _and "persuaded"_ to come.

Sakuno's eyes suddenly widened. _Could it be_…?

It was Fuji who confirmed for her that it was indeed an invitation to the trip that she had mentioned to Ryoma, Hiyoshi, and Kirihara when they were at the temple. Even more surprising was to hear the fact that it was Hiyoshi who had mentioned her wish to Atobe. After all, the _Gekokujou _player didn't exactly act like she was the most pleasant person to have around during their brief time together. It was touching to know that the second year Hyoutei player had done such a nice thing for her. She has to personally thank him some time. And of course, the others who had been kind enough to send her cards and presents as well.

Indeed, she felt truly lucky, and at the same time, undeserving, to be surrounded by such good people.

She was teary-eyed by the time she got to the last cards.

However, she also noticed that there was _one person_ who had not sent her anything—not even a card. She told herself that she shouldn't be bothered. But since everyone, even Kabaji, had sent her one, she felt kind of hurt. After all, he was one of the people she held closest to her heart.

Her fear and insecurity escalated over the time that she spent recuperating in the hospital. A lot of familiar faces from the other teams had dropped by to see her at least once—even _his_ own teammates. But there was no sign of him.

She had asked about his whereabouts more than once, but nobody wanted to answer her. They just told her he was doing fine. They _swore_ to her that he was perfectly well, but didn't say anything else as to why he hasn't visited…or called…or texted…or even passed on a greeting.

It wasn't until she was released from the hospital weeks later on that she finally learned the truth…

And what a painful truth it was.

* * *

_**Three months later.**_

Sakuno was walking along an unfamiliar busy street in Tokyo. It was funny since she lived in Tokyo all her life and yet she could swear that she had never seen the place around her.

Nothing looked familiar to her.

At the moment, the girl was dressed-up nicely, thanks to Tomoka's make-over plan. She was wearing a pink hoodie, a black mini-skirt that wasn't too short to show anything important, and matching black boots that ended about an inch below her knees. Her long hair that had stylish, wavy ends was unbound and free to fall on her back like a graceful waterfall.

"_Mou_," she cried, worried. How the heck does she still manage to get herself lost in her birth place? It's pretty pathetic!

She continued along the street until she finally reached an area that she was able to recognize—she was standing right in front of the entrance of the newly opened amusement park.

Well, it has been opened for a few months already, but it was still new to her.

She suddenly remembered that Kirihara had planned to take her to that particular amusement park—a promise that was made a long time ago and hasn't been fulfilled yet. Before she can continue her thoughts, she heard loud male voices coming towards her way.

"_Oi_, we've been coming to that amusement park almost every week," Sakuno heard an unfamiliar voice say, most likely addressing one of his companions. "I thought you wanted to pick up girls, at first. But you don't even look at them when you go in there. You just have this lost look in your eyes as you stare at the rides in a daze. Are you going nuts, Kirihara?"

Sakuno instantly felt herself freeze upon the mention of the name. Slowly, and fearfully, she turned her head towards the boys' direction.

"_Keh_, of course not! I just wanted to check out the arcades in there," the junior ace bluffed. He was wearing his Rikkai Dai school uniform, with a few opened buttons on his polo top. The tie was also slightly loose around his neck in a ragged and bad boy fashion.

"The arcades suck. We have better ones in Kanagawa," his other friend said.

Kirihara was about to open his mouth again when he suddenly came face-to-face with a startled-looking Sakuno, who stood in front of him.

They stared at each other for a while—both of them just looking into each other's eyes.

One of Kirihara's companions looked from the junior ace to the girl, then back to Kirihara again.

"Do you know this chick?" he finally asked.

It took a moment before Kirihara answered, and when he did, he was back to his carefree mood as if nothing had happened.

"Not really. I think she's the manager of our rival team, but I can't be sure. Who cares?"

The junior ace then passed by her like he didn't even see her in the first place. His two companions followed him soon.

Sakuno slowly bowed her head, thoroughly crushed by his words. She knew she shouldn't be. It was perfectly understandable why he would act that way. But it was just…too painful.

"Too bad. She was kinda cute," she heard one of Kirihara's friends say as they were walking away.

"You pervert," Kirihara said with a boyish chuckle as he playfully punched his friend's arm.

That's right. Kirihara has…

"_S-selective amnesia?" she asked numbly, not knowing how to take the words in._

"_I'm afraid so," Yukimura had told her. It was the blue-haired buchou who finally revealed the reason as to why Kirihara hasn't visited nor contacted her while she was at the hospital._

"_He's physically fine and had almost fully recovered from his injuries. However, as his body had been repeatedly put under tremendous stress, his brain finally decided to act on its own behalf. In order to protect him from further stress, it had blocked any memory that was related to the thing that caused him the most trauma."_

"_And that was me," Sakuno whispered, her glassy brown eyes looking ahead but not really focusing on anything._

_Yukimura sent her a sympathetic look. "He had been too traumatized when he saw you get shot in Kyoto that his brain decided to block any memory that concerns you from his system. We wanted to help him remember you, but the doctor cautioned against it. If he is forced to remember all of that stress, it will be detrimental to his health. His system might just shut down forever and he will fall into a life-long coma. Forgive me, but we couldn't take that risk."_

_Sakuno bit her bottom lip, and then looked down. She couldn't let Yukimura see the pain in her eyes nor the tears that threatened to fall from them._

"_I understand," she said softly before bowing in front of the buchou. "Thank you so much for telling me. I shall go now."_

_She turned away from him as quickly as she can and was hurrying to get away._

_However, Yukimura's voice called her again._

"_Sakuno-san."_

_The brunette had no choice but to stop in her tracks and turn back to face him again._

_Yukimura saw the pain in her eyes then._

"_If it is really meant to be," he started, softening his eyes at the girl, "then he will find his own way back to you."_

_Sakuno's chocolate brown eyes shook at his words._

"_Someday, he will." Yukimura ended his words with a sanguine smile._

That's why, until that day…

Sakuno grabbed the pendant that was currently around her neck. It was a rectangular tag that had the initials K.A. on its bottom right corner. Its bottom half was slightly dented—a remembrance from a previous experience. It was Niou who had given it to her during one of their recent visits to the café. The trickster had simply told her that Kirihara would've wanted her to have it.

The brunette clutched the pendant close to her chest, as she tried not to think of the pain for now. She believes in what Yukimura had told her. Someday, Kirihara would come back to her. And then he will ruffle her hair again in the way that he always did when he wanted to show his affections to her. He will be right by her side to make her laugh and smile again.

But until then…

Sakuno wiped tears from her eyes.

Until then…

She sucked up a deep breath and finally turned away, continuing on along the street with renewed confidence.

'_Until then, I will keep our memories safely locked inside my heart.'_

* * *

Unbeknownst to the brunette, Kirihara had actually stopped and turned his head to look back at her once he and his friends were a few feet away from the girl. His two companions had been too busy talking about something that they weren't able to notice that Kirihara wasn't following them anymore.

The junior ace frowned.

It's true…

He really doesn't know her that well.

But what he doesn't understand was why…

At that moment, when they looked into each other's eyes, he felt an unbelievable longing feeling come from his chest.

"_Oi_, Kirihara! Stop daydreaming and let's head home!"

The junior ace was instantly snapped from his daze and soon moved to follow his classmates.

"I'm coming! Geez, hold your horses!"

_For now, he is forced to walk a path that differed from hers._

* * *

Ryoma threw a Ponta can at the garbage.

That was the second Ponta he finished since he had arrived at the station.

He looked at the clock and saw that it was already 5:31 pm.

Where the heck is she? She's exactly 31 minutes late now.

Did she get lost again? Most likely.

This is exactly why he had offered to pick her up himself.

But _nooo_. She just had to refuse, saying that she and her "Kunimitsu-_nii_" had some important business to take care of.

Come to think of it, she had been spending quite a lot of time with his _buchou_ lately.

Before long, and much to his relief, he finally heard footsteps coming towards him. He turned his head and was relieved to see Sakuno.

The girl had stopped when she was directly in front of him and bent down slightly to catch her breath.

"_G-gomen nasai_, Ryoma-kun! I was—"

"Lost again. I figured," he cut her off, not bothering to hide the annoyance on his aristocratic face.

Sakuno looked up at him and frowned. At age sixteen, he had grown out of his _chibi_ state and was actually about a foot taller than her. He still remained smaller than the rest of his _senpai_'s, however, allowing them to still call him "_ochibi._"

She saw that he was wearing a casual black polo shirt and some jeans. The brunette was a little surprised as she rarely saw him in anything but tennis outfits. He actually looked more mature when he wears pants. If Sakuno had only met Ryoga before, she might've noted that Ryoma was looking more and more like his adopted brother as days go by.

Sakuno belatedly noticed that the prince was also holding a plain white paper bag in one of his hands. She was curious but resisted the urge to ask about it. Ryoma might think she's being nosy or something.

"_Ikou_," he finally said as he started walking to the restaurant. Sakuno moved and settled to walk right beside him.

There was a comfortable silence between them for a while, before Ryoma decided to break it.

"How's Tezuka-_buchou_?" he asked out of the blue, which was quite out of character for him. Ryoma never did like petty talks.

"He's doing…fine?" she answered unsurely, looking at him to see what was up.

She saw that there was a slight frown on his face as if her answer hadn't satisfied him.

Ryoma was silent again, before...

"You've been spending a lot of time with him lately," he commented nonchalantly.

Sakuno inclined her head in a cute way. "Er, yes. I was…helping him with something." She was still puzzled by Ryoma's uncharacteristic talkative mood.

"Again?"

"Well, I do consider him as my _nii-san_, after all. So it's only natural for me to help him. Besides, we had been talking about your guys' tennis schedule as well."

The prince didn't reply after that and when Sakuno tried to look into his eyes, he turned his head away.

But it was too late—Sakuno had already caught it.

"_Ano_, Ryoma-kun," she started timidly, but then gained more confidence. She knew Ryoma better than anyone else. "Are you…jealous of Kunimitsu-_nii_?" she asked, an amused but fond smile on her face.

Ryoma had stiffened at her question and looked at her incredulously. She saw that his cheeks had reddened considerably, however.

"_B-Baka_, of course not." He turned away again and suddenly started to increase his walking pace.

Sakuno couldn't help but giggle softly at his cute actions.

She had realized a long time ago that Ryoma gets jealous very easily. It was most likely because he was naturally possessive.

The brunette also increased her pace, jogging to catch up with Ryoma. She hugged one of his arms and held onto it in order to placate the boy.

"Actually, Ryoma-kun…" she began, finally ready to confess the truth to Ryoma. After all, she didn't really want to hide anything from him. "I have been insisting to go with Kunimitsu-_nii_ whenever he visits Kunihito-san in prison."

Upon hearing that, Ryoma looked at her in surprise.

Up until then, they had avoided any topic that related to their hellish experience. And his _buchou_ never really mentioned to anyone that he had been visiting his cousin in prison. And why would he? After all he has done…

"Remember when I told you that Kunimitsu-_nii_ adopted his paper crane hobby from a man he once called his 'brother'?" Sakuno explained. "Well, I couldn't help but finally ask him about who that person was, and—"

"It was Kunihito, wasn't it?"

This time, it was Sakuno's turn to look surprised.

"Y-you knew?"

"_Aa_. I suspected it for a long time mostly because of how he had talked to Kunihito when we confronted him at the temple."

"Oh." Sakuno blinked. He had impressed her once again. "Well, yes. It turned out that Kunimitsu-_nii_ had actually admired Kunihito-san and thought of him like an older brother when they were kids. He was one of the reasons why Kunimitsu-_nii _started playing tennis." Her eyes shone with sadness as she thought of how broken the stoic captain must have been when he found out that that the person he admired and thought of as a sibling actually hated his guts.

"That's why I want to be with him whenever he visits Kunihito-san. I don't want him to be alone every time he confronts something that I know emotionally taxes him. After all, he is also only human. He gets hurt a lot too, even though he never shows it."

Ryoma found himself staring at her sad expression for a few moments before finally tearing his gaze away from her, focusing back on the road. He noticed that they were almost at the restaurant he had planned to take her to.

"That's okay then."

Sakuno blinked at his unclear statement again.

"You can spend more time with him," he clarified. "You're probably the only person who he will allow to get close to him in that way."

At his very understanding words, Sakuno couldn't help but flash him a grateful smile.

* * *

"So, what did you want to talk to me about, Ryoma-kun?" she asked as she finally remembered that the main reason why Ryoma had asked her out to dinner was because he said he had something important to tell her.

They sat in front of a small table in a pretty fancy restaurant. Sakuno could already guess that their meals wouldn't come cheap.

In response to her question, Ryoma merely placed the white paper bag that he had been carrying on top of their table. He pushed it towards her.

Sakuno stared at it curiously.

"_Ano_…"

"Open it," he commanded.

"_H-hai_."

The brunette did as she was told, expecting some sort of romantic present inside. Her treacherous heart already started to beat quickly with anticipation.

When she peeked into the paper bag, she saw that there was a rectangular box inside. She slowly opened the box with trembling fingers and saw…

"R-Ryoma-kun's school uniform?"

Sakuno couldn't help but frown as she stared at the black uniform in front of her. She noticed that only the top part of the outfit was in the box and not the pants.

"_Aa_," he confirmed, somewhat amused by the disappointed look on her face. She tried to hide it but she was too easy to read. She's always been honest with her feelings. That's one of the things he liked about her.

"One of the buttons had come out and I want you to sew it back for me."

Oh, so that was why he took her out to dinner.

She actually allowed herself to think that it was a date…

Well, it is Ryoma, after all. She shouldn't expect much.

"Of course, I can. It's not that hard anyway," she told him with a warm smile. She really doesn't mind doing the favor for him, but she couldn't help but wonder why he didn't ask his mom or his cousin to do the task instead. They were closer.

"Do you have the button?"

Ryoma took out a button from his jeans' pocket and opened his hand, offering the button to her. But at the moment, the girl was too busy checking which button had come out.

"Ah, I found it—" she trailed off as she suddenly realized that it was the second button which had come out. She froze in her place, wondering if it's just a coincidence or…?

_In Japan, the second button from the top of a male's school uniform is often given away to the girl he loves. It is considered as a form of confession. The significance of this tradition derives from the fact that the second button is the one closest to the boy's heart when he wears the uniform. Thus, it is basically seen as a metaphor for the boy giving his own heart to the girl.*_

"_Doushita_?" Ryoma asked, curious as to why she had suddenly become so still.

His voice brought Sakuno back to reality.

With cheeks flushing, she shook her head and bit her bottom lip. Ryoma found himself staring a little longer at her lips after her recent action.

"I was just thinking about how coincidental it is," she told the boy, about to reach for the button that was still innocently sitting on his palm. She figured that since Ryoma had grown up in America, he most likely didn't recognize the significance of the second button, at least not in the context she was thinking about.

"What if it's not a coincidence?"

Brown eyes suddenly looked up to meet intense yellow ones.

"Y-you—"

"Of course, I know. I'm not stupid."

Sakuno pouted at his last words, she didn't mean to say that.

"So, knowing it's not a coincidence, would you still take it?" he asked again.

The girl found herself unable to speak for a while. When she still didn't do anything for the next minute or so, Ryoma got impatient and suddenly closed his fist and took back the button. He stuffed it back into his jeans.

"_M-matte_, I haven't told you my reply yet!"

She felt a little infuriated when she saw the cocky smirk on his face. Is he playing with her? Because if he is, it's not funny…

"It doesn't matter," Ryoma said.

"Of course, it does. Ryoma-kun, if you're only playing—"

"I wouldn't have taken 'no' for an answer anyway."

Well, that kept her quiet. He certainly knows how to shut her up.

Ryoma found himself looking at her lips again. He diverted his attention down to the tableware in front of him and silenced the screaming urge inside of him.

"And what if I actually said no, Ryoma-kun?" she suddenly asked, daring him, though she was already blushing furiously by then.

"Hnn?" he asked as if he wasn't paying attention to her.

"I said what if I said no?"

"You wouldn't."

Well, darn him for knowing. Of course she wouldn't say no. She had already confessed her feelings to him so many times.

"And you couldn't."

She sent him a questioning look at that one.

"Why not?"

"You already owe me."

Another cute frown was displayed on her face.

"I don't think I remember owing you—"

"You didn't bring any money, did you?"

"But you told me not to—"

She paled as she finally realized it. Not to mention, the arrogant smirk on his face as his yellow eyes twinkled at her says it all. They had already ordered as well, so she couldn't back out and just leave now.

And so, she did the only thing she can do at moments like that—when he's completely bullying her.

She pouted adorably, looking at him with slightly narrowed eyes. Ryoma started to become annoyed. Is she tempting him?

"Stop that or I'll kiss you."

Within a second, she had turned as red as a tomato. She could only stare at him as she stuttered her disbelief. He can be _so unfair _sometimes!

"_M-mou_..." she whined helplessly.

At the sight of her blushing and frustrated face, he actually wanted to chuckle. She was _so_ cute.

"Ryuzaki."

"_H-hai_?"

"I—" Ryoma looked at her seriously, before turning his head off to the side. Gone was the confident smirk on his face. No matter how many times he tried, he really couldn't say it. It's just not him.

The brunette watched his face for a few seconds before a warm smile slowly appeared on her lips.

"I know," she whispered. "_Dakara_, Ryoma-kun doesn't have to worry about not saying it. Because I know now."

The prince looked at her in surprise. And all this time, he thought she needed to hear it from him in order to truly believe it.

But he was wrong, Sakuno did believe it. It took a while for her to realize—with her being insecure all the time and all—but Ryoma has been telling her his feelings the entire time.

Not through words, but rather, through his actions.

So she'll be okay even if she didn't hear it literally from his lips. Words are unnecessary between people who have a deeper understanding of each other.

"After all, even now, Ryoma-kun is still…"

Sakuno bit her lower lip again, trying not to laugh as she said her next words:

"_Mada mada da ne_."

The look on Ryoma's face right after she said his catchphrase was so priceless that she was sure that it's worth whatever payback she'll get from him later.

If only she knew what Ryoma really had in mind for payback, she would've _instantly_ taken it back.

* * *

_Peaceful days_…

Oh, how she loves them.

**_~The end.~_**

* * *

**Special Notes:**

* From Wikipedia

**Author's Notes:**

I AM finally done! LOL! This took the longest to write.

I hope the ending is satisfactory to all of you. And you got me, I was planning to just kill off Sakuno. But then, I didn't want to make you guys sad. So tada!

As for the KiriSaku lovers, I also hope that it's a bit satisfactory for you. Technically, it is kinda still open-ended on Kirihara's and Sakuno's end. That's the best I can do since I have already decided from the start that this will be a RyoSaku fic. Though I love KiriSaku just as much, trust me.

For now, I have no plans to start writing a new story. If anything, I'll probably write a sequel to this one. Not a long sequel (here I go again), but it most probably will be set during the trip that Sakuno and the others were planning to go to. Of course, you already know that _nothing ordinary_ ever happens when they are all together. Hahah. But yeah, still no definite plans for now.

Thank you, thank you, thank you SO MUCH to everyone who has supported me until the very last chapter. Please leave me one last review.

That's my last request from you guys. I did make it a happy ending? LOL.

But yeah, for now, bye-bye and see you next time!

**Japanese Vocab:**

_Matte - _Wait

_Dakara_ – That's why


End file.
